10 X-Factors for the Denver Broncos in 2023 season

1. Russell Wilson, quarterback

As we mentioned, Russell Wilson had one of the worst seasons of his entire career in 2023, but the last few games were a glimpse that the Wilson we did see was not a washed quarterback. You certainly cannot take the last handful of games and dismiss those either. Yet, in those last remaining games, Wilson still showed quickness and decisiveness that had been a large part of his success in the NFL. 

Another aspect where Wilson struggled was the ability to perform within the pocket last year. He’s certainly capable of doing it, but his best attribute is playing off-schedule and on the run. Wilson is well known to be one of the best ad-lib quarterbacks of the last decade. For the Denver Broncos, to have any type of success it has to be first and foremost the performance of Wilson. 

While Sean Payton has proven to win games despite less than stellar quarterback performance, it is still beneficial for Wilson to show strong strides in 2023. In the preseason, it was evident he had lost the weight he put on in 2022. The question is not so much did he lose 15 pounds, but if he lost more than 15 pounds. Another thing that appeared answered is those decisive throws with accuracy we saw from the last few games of 2023. 

Wilson may not put up numbers like Peyton Manning in a Broncos uniform, but somewhere around 25-28 TDs and less than 10 interceptions is well worth a successful season for Wilson. It may not be enough to keep the Broncos from looking toward the future, but Wilson is in line for a huge bounce-back year.