Mile High Monday: Can Russell Wilson join the 5,000-yard club in 2022?

The Denver Broncos kick off training camp in less than 10 days. I will be out there for 14 days of practice in the summer heat, including some joint practices with the Dallas Cowboys.

I like this time of year. We are right before training camp, and all things are possible for a team built like the Broncos. They’ll get to sharpen their skill in camp, the preseason and those joint practices which might be more competitive than the preseason games.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ! The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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We Love You Too, Von!

Former Broncos linebacker Von Miller is a future Hall of Fame inductee, and he’s one of the best to ever play in Denver. Last week, Miller was in town for his foundation, Von’s Vision, for a charity event, and he kept referring to the Broncos as “we” when talking about the team.

Miller was traded last year to the Los Angeles Rams, and he was able to win another Super Bowl championship with his new team. While Miller seemed to fall out of favor with former head coach Vic Fangio, he fit right in with the Rams. In eight games during the regular season, Miller snared 5.0 sacks. During the postseason, Miller was even better notching 4.0 sacks in four games leading up to (and including) the big game.

This offseason, Miller was a free agent and rather than stay with the Rams or come back to the Broncos, he chose to sign a six-year, $120 million contract with the Buffalo Bills. His price tag might have been too much for the Broncos to entertain, but it sure would be nice if he could’ve come back while still playing good football. It would have been nicer if Fangio would have used Miller correctly and warmed up to the superstar player instead of miscasting him and never really praising him for his play.

Von Miller will always have love for the Denver Broncos. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ITBnHyaRNF

— theScore (@theScore) July 12, 2022

As I wrote last week, Miller and the Bills could be in the way of the Broncos in the playoffs. Simply put, the Broncos would be better with Miller – especially under new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. There is no doubt that Evero would’ve been able to unlock (revitalize?) Miller’s game when it comes to getting after the passer. There is also no doubt that the Broncos have too many questions when it comes to pass-rushers. Bringing back Miller, or keeping Miller, would have given them a great player and a proven player to be at the forefront of this young group. Ah well, no matter what we’ll always love Miller – until the Broncos and Bills play.

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Mr. 5000?

We are going to see the best version of Russell Wilson this season. The Broncos are going to “let Russ cook” and that means he’s going to throw more than he did with the Seattle Seahawks. I’ve written it before, and I’ll reference it again; the only time Wilson was top-10 in passing attempts he led the league in touchdown passes (2017). Expect not only a rinse and repeat of that type of production – it’s fair to expect his numbers to be even higher.

It all comes down to passing attempts. Wilson has never passed 600 times in a season, but in a 17-game season (and a team willing to let him let it fly) that might happen. Just two years ago, Wilson had a career-high 558 passing attempts, and he threw for a career high 40 touchdowns. However, he only threw for 4,212 yards that season (2020). What if he gets more passing attempts this year in a much more efficient passing attack, with much better receivers too?

Can Wilson throw for over 5,000 yards? Even in today’s pass-happy league, that is a mark that only a few quarterbacks have reached in NFL history. Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins) was the first quarterback to do that back in 1984, and nobody else surpassed that number for decades. Since 2008 (Drew Brees) there have been eight quarterbacks to throw for 5,000-plus yards. Last year, two quarterbacks (Tom Brady, Justin Herbert) hit that mark.

Will Russell Wilson have 5,000 passing yards this season?

(📸 @Broncos) pic.twitter.com/Um9KuP8bYD

— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) July 16, 2022

I think pushing for 5,000 passing yards is a possibility for Wilson, but I don’t have him projected for that number. He’s likely to set a career-high in passing attempts this year, and Wilson could get near 600 attempts on the season. However, I think they’ll lean on their rushing attack enough to take the ball out of Wilson’s hands late in the game. I believe the Broncos can build leads and then let running back Javonte Williams close out the game and eat up time of possession on the ground. That means Wilson won’t have to air it out late in an attempt to win games, and that’s why I think 4,500 yards is a more accurate projection for him this year.

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A Good Backup

Earlier this year, the Broncos signed veteran quarterback Josh Johnson to a one-year contract. I’ve followed Johnson’s career since I watched him at the 2008 East-West Shrine Game practices down in Houston, Tex. (the same practices one Tyler Polumbus participated in). I got to know Johnson through his personal trainer and his cousin, former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch. I thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got an intriguing prospect when they selected Johnson in the fifth round that year.

Johnson played college football for head coach Jim Harbaugh at the University of San Diego. He was a good quarterback for the Torreros, and Harbaugh said Johnson was one of the smartest players he’s ever coached. Getting to know Johnson, I saw that knowledge and passion for the game of football firsthand. In his pro career, Johnson has never stayed with one team for too long and now has played for nearly half the league.

So, is Johnson a good backup for the Broncos? I say yes. Sure, the Broncos could have pursued someone like Marcus Mariota or drafted a quarterback late this year to backup Wilson, but I’m glad they didn’t go in that direction. Yes, Johnson is 1-8 as a starter over nine games starting during his pro career but I like him as a backup for another reason – his intelligence. The Nathaniel Hackett West Coast offense is one of the most complex in the league. No offense to other quarterbacks out there, but many who were available would likely struggle with the language of Hackett’s offense let alone the complex concepts. Johnson, having worked in dozens of systems, won’t have that problem.

Josh Johnson is signing with the Denver Broncos, making this the 14th different NFL franchise he’s signed a contract with.

He’s now played for nearly half the league. https://t.co/wqyGjNuEdx

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 18, 2022

We’re about to the ‘surprise cuts’ time of year when articles are written that take a stab at which players could be released after the preseason. Johnson could be on some of those lists, but I think he stays put as a good backup for the Broncos. He’s smart enough to understand the system, and Johnson is athletic enough to run the system as designed. You can’t say that for every backup option that was out there. Wilson rarely gets hurt, so spending resources on a higher-priced backup who is not as smart as Johnson sounds like a bad idea to me.

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Return of The Prophet

I’m a big comic book nerd. I always have been, and I always will be. As someone who has started an independent comic book company, Smokin Gun Comics, I’m realizing my dream of creating comic books that hopefully many people enjoy. I love Marvel Comics, but there are several characters from independent publishers that I love as well. Characters like Grimjack (First Comics) and Prophet (Image Comics) are some of my favorites – and both have plans to come to streaming services or movie theaters in the near future.

Prophet (Remastered Edition) comes out this week. He’s a creation of one of my favorite artists of all time, Rob Liefeld, with an interesting background. First seen in the pages of Youngblood, John Prophet is a super soldier from World War II who happens to be on somewhat of a crusade of his own. A former homeless man, Prophet was used as a mindless soldier at times after World War II, and now feels bad for some of the things he’s done even though he can’t remember them.

I love the fact a character from the past like Prophet can get the spotlight again. Originally set to appear in Marvel’s X-Force, Liefeld kept Prophet for Image Comics and the character became a fan favorite. I can’t wait to pick up this remastered series at my local comic book shop.

Next week PROPHET #1 Remastered Edition arrives! Great talent on every page! Orders on this are very LOW, I didn’t do a good enough job marketing it. I hope you can get copy, I think you’ll enjoy it if you do! pic.twitter.com/wgbDlIfdBL

— robliefeld (@robertliefeld) July 16, 2022

What character from the past would you like to see rejuvenated? Hit me up on social media and let me know!

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