Dolphins Accuse Russell Wilson Coach Payton of 'Total Disrespect'

Payton, hired to miraculously fix all the things about the 2022 Broncos that were broken, has been bold and boastful along the way, starting with him calling last season’s performance by predecessor Nathaniel Hackett “one of the worst” coaching performances in league history.

But he's wrong. Hackett last year started 2-1 before the Broncos folded. Payton's Broncos have failed to unfold at all and are sitting at 0-3 after Sunday’s historic loss to the Dolphins - the NFL’s first 70-point game since 1966 and the first 50-point win since 2014.

Standard operating procedure? Wilson is a Super Bowl champion, a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year winner, a two-time All-Pro and a nine-time Pro Bowler from his Seattle days. Given his contract and cap numbers? He shouldn't be exposed to a beating when the game is beyond winnable.

And given his age, 34? He shouldn't be out there for that reason as well.

They’ve got to do better on that side,'' Howard said. "You can’t be leaving guys like that out there.”

Wilson was on the field for every one of the Broncos’ 59 offensive snaps. He took 12 hits in the game, including one sack. ... and once got the wind knocked out of him.

“That was a tough one today,” said Wilson, who departed Seattle a year ago in a blockbuster trade that has worked out marvelously for the Seahawks. “It felt like the game kind of got away from us.”

Well, yes. But suddenly, as we review Wilson's work - in this game he was 23 of 38 for 306 yards with one touchdown and one interception and hardly the Broncos’ biggest problem - it's time for another Bronco to Blame.

“I’m at a loss for words,” said Payton in review of it all, accidently setting up the punchline to all of this: Coach, you're not just at a loss for words. You're at three losses in three tries. And maybe all of it isn't Russell Wilson's fault?