3 overreactions after Denver Broncos' loss in Week 2 to Washington Commanders

Rev up those fryers, as it's time to overreact once again! The Denver Broncos lost their second-straight game to begin the 2023 NFL season in disappointing fashion to the Washington Commanders. Well, the tables have turned in 2023. The offense is good. Great, I may even say, but the defense looks like swiss cheese, unfortunately.

The team jumped out to a 21-3 lead on the backs of an efficient offense and a suffocating pass rush that sacked Commanders' QB Sam Howell numerous times. Well, late in the first half, it all fell apart. The defense suddenly forgot how to play football and the offense was not as good. The Broncos are now 0-2 after losing two very winnable games.

Three of their next four games will be on the road, two of which coming in Miami against the Dolphins and in Kansas City against the Chiefs. Denver needs to go on a run here if they want to remain afloat by the time the bye week comes around. Let's overreact after Week 2.

3 overreactions after Denver Broncos' loss in Week 2 to Washington Commanders
1. Not only is Russell Wilson back, but he's an elite QB once again

Russell Wilson is on pace for the following numbers this year through two games:

This would be the best season of his career. He'd have a career-high in touchdown passes and would have the third-highest passer rating and passing yards of his career. This would be a horrible thing, though, if Wilson does put up these numbers and the team misses the playoffs, because it would surely be on the defense.

Wilson is decisive, has a ton of zip on his passes, and is using his legs again to create plays. Sean Payton knows what he's doing on offense and with his quarterback. Russell Wilson has never worked with an offensive mind in the NFL like Payton, and the on-field production is showing.

2. The Broncos should bench and cut Damarri Mathis and Kareem Jackson

Damarri Mathis played all of the defensive snaps again in Week 2 and allowed another touchdown and was continually beat in coverage. Well, the Broncos have a rookie cornerback in Riley Moss, who I think needs to get some run as the starter opposite Patrick Surtain II. I think sending Mathis to the bench needs to happen.

It's clear that the entire secondary is weak outside of Surtain and Simmons, and Mathis has been the worst of them all thus far in 2023. Secondly, the Denver Broncos should just cut Kareem Jackson at this point. He's had two helmet to helmet hits this year, and the most recent one in Week 2 led to his ejection and was a huge momentum shifter.

Jackson hit Logan Thomas right in the head as Thomas caught a TD pass from Sam Howell. Jackson truly could have just made a play on the ball and probably could have forced an incompletion. Well, instead, Jackson went head-hunting again for some reason. K-Jack is old, slow, and is just playing irresponsible football at this point.

I don't think he needs to be on this roster anymore. Denver should just cut ties in-season like they did with Melvin Gordon in 2022. I'm not sure what Jackson is bringing to the defense at this point, but with Caden Sterns and K'Waun Williams both out, the Broncos will probably keep Kareem Jackson around, but he's simply not someone who should be on an NFL roster at this point.

3. The Denver Broncos need to fire DC Vance Joseph after Week 2

I get the idea of Sean Payton hiring Vance Joseph; veteran defensive mind who has head coaching experience. The only issue with that is, Joseph was not a good DC in the past and was a horrid head coach. He's just not the answer at DC for the Denver Broncos, and is a clear downgrade from Ejiro Evero.

It's clear that Evero was doing something better than Joseph currently is with the defense, and the obvious downgrade might end up being the downfall of the 2023 Denver Broncos. Honestly, if Denver has any chance at saving this season, they should just part ways with VJ now instead of later, because I don't think this defense is improving much at all under Joseph.

Defensive backs coach Christian Parker would be a logical replacement for Joseph, and I don't really think Sean Payton should waste much time here. I get that not only are firing coordinators and head coaches during the season doesn't commonly happen, but it'd be truly historic to see a coordinator fired after just two weeks, but I think it needs to happen.

There were rumors that the Denver Broncos were trying to hire Vic Fangio back as their defensive coordinator, and I'm not sure what exactly transpired there, but it's clear that the franchise should have done more to try to bring him back.