2023 NFL Power Rankings: Denver Broncos

Lesson learned: This might be a far bigger rebuild than Sean Payton thought.

Payton was very public about his belief the Broncos could compete for a playoff spot this season. But this is a team that has missed the postseason seven years in a row, looks thin across the depth chart, is often disjointed on offense, has surrendered 70 points in a game this season and doesn't look to have many winnable games left on the schedule if they play at their current level. Payton has already jettisoned outside linebackers Randy Gregory and Frank Clark and with the trade deadline approaching he has a locker room full of players wondering who's next. -- Jeff Legwold

It's becoming harder to see how Sean Payton and Russell Wilson are going to thrive in their arranged pairing, considering the Broncos are amid their worst start in nearly 30 years. Wilson has looked solid to strong at times, but mistakes at critical junctures have really marred his play this season. Payton has looked weary at times, even if he's coaxed much better effort from the team since the 50-point loss to the Dolphins. The defense especially came to play in last Thursday's 19-8 loss at Kansas City, and maybe it's a stepping stone for better play down the stretch. But if Denver doesn't get more from Wilson, Jerry Jeudy and the offensive line, it's going to be difficult to project much actual progress toward winning.

This is officially a disaster. Russell Wilson looks lost. Sean Payton isn't fixing him.

They'll only leave Denver one time from now until December. That may not necessarily be a plus given how this 1-5 outfit is trending ... though if Sean Payton continues offloading players, at least the home fans will have some new guys to boo.

The Broncos have the defensive version of the Giants offense. Denver is last in the league in yards (440.3) and points (33.3) allowed per game. Even the silver lining of the season — Russell Wilson's quiet improvement — was blotted out in Week 6. Wilson had a 46.4 passer rating against the Chiefs on Thursday night and fumbled to end any chance of a Broncos win. It was only the second time this season Wilson's passer rating has been below 103 in a game.

Sean Payton couldn't have seen this in his worst stress dreams about returning to the sideline. The Broncos weren't widely expected to be a playoff team, but most people agreed Payton would get them out of the NFL cellar. Surprising or not, the most interesting thing about this team is whether they decide to sell off more pieces at the trade deadline.

Thursday night was a big win for the "Russell Wilson is the problem" crowd. You're going to hear a lot about how Wilson has another $37 million that becomes guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2024 league year. There's no good solution to the Wilson situation, other than him completely turning things around the rest of the season. Which seems unlikely.

Will Greg Penner hit the reset button after another potentially disastrous season?

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