Nathaniel Hackett‘s offense submitted another second-half dud against the Jets, extending the Broncos’ losing streak to four and increasing the temperature on the first-year coach’s unexpectedly hot seat.
The Broncos’ 16-9 loss leaves them with 100 points. That is not only the NFL’s basement mark, counting the teams that have had their bye week, it is, per The Athletic, the lowest seven-game Denver total since 1966. Considering the Broncos’ struggles during that period and much of the 1970s, the statistics keep looking worse for Hackett, a veteran offensive coordinator hired to repair Denver’s long-anemic attack.
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Although this Broncos edition’s 14.3 points per game is well behind Pat Shurmur‘s 2021 offense (19.7, 23rd) — a unit that largely led to Vic Fangio‘s firing — Hackett is not considering ceding his play-calling responsibilities or making staff changes at this point.
“Right now, on a short week, we’re going to keep the status quo. We’re all going to work together to build a great plan,” Hackett said, via Denver7’s Troy Renck. “I feel like our operation has been going well. We held the ball for a long time, and we moved the ball; we just didn’t convert on some third downs. That kind of stalled us, but we’re going to keep going how we are, and we’ll evaluate everything; we always do.”
Latavius Murray‘s 2-yard touchdown run Sunday gave the Broncos a rare red zone TD, but Hackett’s offense still ranks 32nd in red zone TD rate (23.5%). Only one other team (Seattle) is scoring TDs at a sub-42% clip in the red area. The Broncos have also struggled each week in third quarters; their offense has accounted for just three third-stanza points this season. These figures have helped lead to rampant scrutiny on Hackett and Russell Wilson, who is tracking toward a Week 8 return from his hamstring injury after missing just his fourth career contest Sunday. Although Hackett’s game management struggles have calmed down since the late-September hire of Jerry Rosburg, Denver’s 58 penalties also lead the NFL.
Hackett, 42, has called plays for three teams — the Bills, Jaguars and now the Broncos — but hired a first-time OC (Justin Outten). Denver has Klint Kubiak installed as its quarterbacks coach. Also a second-generation coach, Kubiak, 35, has called plays previously but only for one season (with the 2021 Vikings).
Hackett’s 2017 Jacksonville squad ranked fifth in scoring, but the second-generation NFL play-caller did not produce another top-half scoring finish during his five-season run calling plays in Buffalo and Jacksonville. The Jags ousted Hackett during the 2018 season, leading him to Green Bay as a non-play-calling OC. Hackett’s Packers stay led to four teams — the Bears, Jags, Vikings and Broncos — interviewing him for HC jobs this year. The Broncos hired Hackett over finalists Kevin O’Connell and Dan Quinn.
Thirteen coaches have been one-and-dones since 2000. Urban Meyer is the only one not to finish out his first season. It would be somewhat surprising if Hackett followed Meyer’s lead, given the fusillade of scandals that led to Shad Khan firing Meyer. But Hackett’s prospects at making it through his first season became a talking point around the league before the Broncos’ losses to the Chargers and Jets. And Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk posits Denver’s London assignment and Week 9 bye leaves new ownership — not in place for Hackett’s hire — a reboot window. If the Jaguars continue the pattern of the Broncos’ offense being neutralized after halftime, speculation about Hackett not finishing the season will intensify. For now, however, the team will try its scuffling formula in London.
Looking like a one and done
Maybe not even one. One of their key issues is his play-calling and his ego won’t let him do something to fix it. Dude can’t even manage the clock properly or do basic head coaching duties yet he’s keeping his plate full. Might as well fire him now and get it over with.
Hackett is in WAY over his head. He’s not a good head coach.
When does the article about Shanahan being a terrible play caller come out? Dude has been riding on his dad’s legacy for a while and it’s obvious he isn’t some genius like the narrative of the past decade has made him out to be.
His dad had many of the same issues later in his tenure, especially in the majority of his Washington days. You can scheme well all you like, and pre-plan until the sun goes down, but being unwilling to adapt to individual players and unwilling to change a gameplan will kill you as a coach.
Terrible situation, blow it up!!!
This isn’t news, he might as well go for an Oscar at this point because he’s not getting a Lombardi.
If he’s going for an Oscar there will be plenty of Bronco fans willing to take the place of Will Smith.
LOL, seriously. He looks at the play chart like “I could’ve sworn I took a left. Well, kick it, no don’t. Wait. What did he say?”
The only two words in this article that can comfort me while I hide from ESPN are ‘Urban Meyer’.
The most hilarious part of this if he gets let go is he’ll be the first Bronco’s coach to essentially get fired from Wal-mart.
Personally, I don’t think competent coaches even need play charts. I never saw Lombardi, Shula or Landry use one. The simple rule is get the ball in the hands of your best player. If you do that, the rest will take care of itself.
The difference here is of course that Hackett is not personally tied to the ownership unit and has a much less foreboding contract than Meyer did. So, even though Meyer’s tenure was likely the worst that we’ve seen, it seems much easier to fire Hackett. Ownership has likely already come to that conclusion, they just don’t want to seem rash.
Hackett may have been made some people slightly uncomfortable fit-wise, but I do not think that anybody predicted the disaster production-wise that Denver was in for. The most concerning issue is the lack of preparedness of the team, moreso even than the terrible production itself.
It’s not just the play calling, it’s the play design. Why do your plays not have hot routes for when a QB is getting blitzed? Dumb.
I would be a great OC for a HoF QB as well. We all can do that.
The entire Broncos coaching staff is inexperienced and inept.
Well, on offense at least.
Just another head coach who never had play calling duties previously insisting on doing so. Matt Nagy 2.0
Egotistical and stupid and stubborn
Speaking of stupid: “Hackett, 42, has called plays for three teams — the Bills, Jaguars and now the Broncos…”
He can’t Hackett as a head coach.
Smart idea. You can already hear people calling for you to be fired before the end of your first season and instead of trying to salvage your head coaching career you double down on what obviously isn’t working. I kinda felt bad for the guy but now, not so much
Lol its funny Rodgers even makes head coaches as good what they actually are. Hackett was the red hot assistant last few years working with Rodgers. Hackett is nothing without Rodgers and vice versa. Hopefully after the season he can come back hone to GB as the off Coord
He will cede about week 9 when he is canned
Broncos Country, Let’s Ride!
You should post this comment again. Some of our blind readers might not have seen it yet.
At least it’s on an article about Denver this time…
Broncos are awesome….soon we’ll be the best on the planet!
Go Broncos!!