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3 burning questions for the Denver Broncos in the 2023 season

By Lou Scataglia

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 28: Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos speaks to the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 28, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 28: Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos speaks to the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 28, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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The Denver Broncos are a very changed team from one year ago, but they still have three burning questions left to answer for the 2023 season.  If you’re betting on the Broncos being a breakout team in 2023, I think you’d be on the right track.

They have all the makings of bouncing back from their disastrous 2022.  Nathaniel Hackett was a massive failure as head coach and Russell Wilson looked like he forgot how to play football.  Now, the organization looks totally different.

Sean Payton takes over as head coach and key additions along the offensive line and defense make Denver an enticing bet for 2023.  However, there are still some unknowns with the team.  Let’s cover those.

3 burning questions for the Denver Broncos in the 2023 season

Is Sean Payton the answer at head coach?

Sean Payton brings a Hall of Fame head coaching career to Denver.  He’s won over 60% of his regular season games, sports a winning playoff record and a Super Bowl title.  He’s also never had an offense rank less than 12th in points scored besides the 2021 season where his starting QB went down with a torn ACL.

Even still, the 2021 Saints’ offense finished 19th in scoring.  However, are we sure that Sean Payton is the guy to steer the Broncos back on the right track?  Will him taking a year off impact anything?

Is Russell Wilson truly washed up?

Russell Wilson was supposed to cook filet mignons in 2022 but instead made us ice cubes and burnt toast.  He was abysmally bad, but many have pinned most of the blame for the poor offense on Nathaniel Hackett, who failed to establish an offensive identity.  Wilson also put on some weight in hopes he could become a pure pocket passer.

Well, that era is over for the Denver Broncos, and Wilson has lost serious weight this offseason, which should help his mobility, but I think we’re all wondering if Wilson is truly washed or of last year was just an outlier.

If last year was an outlier, this Denver Broncos’ squad could be deadly, but we won’t know until week one begins.

Were the additions along the offensive line enough?

If you look around at various rankings, you’ll see that the Denver Broncos’ offensive line is now viewed pretty highly, and that’s largely due to their two massive free agency additions.  Ben Powers comes in at left guard, replacing Dalton Risner, and Mike McGlinchey comes in at right tackle, taking over for Cam Fleming and Billy Turner.

Garett Bolles is back from his broken leg and right guard Quinn Meinerz is quietly one of the best guards in football.  All in all, this offensive line has virtually no weaknesses, but we know that Russell Wilson does take a lot of sacks; that’s something that he’s done his entire career.

However, the Denver Broncos do have a very strong offensive line on paper.  Will it be enough to keep Wilson upright?  Will Wilson continue to take a lot of sacks?  Something there has to give.

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