Russ-O-Meter: Wilson’s Broncos are now the worst offense in NFL

The Denver Broncos raised their season scoring average from 15 points per game in their Monday Night Football effort against the Chargers.

They scored 16 points in a three-point loss in L.A.

The star quarterback began hot, coming off a shoulder injury but finished cold and with a hamstring injury.

In the weekly “Russ-O-Meter,” we’ll grade and cover what’s gone on in the wide world of Wilson this week. The meter represents how psyched Broncos Country is with Russell.

Meter: 1 (↓1)

Stat line: 15-for-28 passing, 188 passing yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 4 carries, 23 rushing yards, 0 TD, 4 sacks for 28 yards, 34.7 QBR, 86.6 Passer Rating

Again the Broncos were in another game that they just couldn’t pull out. Denver has now lost twice in overtime, has had two fourth-quarter comebacks, and had one other game come down to the wire. But the fact is the Broncos defense is keeping them in the game, and Wilson’s offense isn’t doing enough.

We thought that would change in L.A. with Wilson coming out firing, starting the game 10-for-10, hitting nine different targets, and connecting on a touchdown. The quarterback and the offense looked like they were hyped to be for the first time all year. Maybe the shoulder injection worked? Maybe Greg Dulcich was the weapon that Wilson needed at tight end?

Wilson wound up 5-for-his-next-18, and Denver netted negative nine yards passing in the second half of the game, scoring just three points. And the game-winner was there several times for Wilson, but the Broncos just kept going three-and-out.

After the game, it came out that Wilson suffered a hamstring injury in the second half that impacted his play and his status for the coming week is up in the air.

It’s hard to give Wilson any benefit of the doubt, even with the injuries, as Denver, at 15.2 points per game, is now the worst-scoring offense in the NFL. The expected Mile High fireworks that came when Denver acquired future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning have been anything but with former Pro Bowler Russell Wilson.

Wilson is again getting blasted by former teammates. On top of that, current teammates seem to be coming undone with how things are going at Dove Valley.

It can’t all be put on Wilson, with first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett and his staff continuing to make mistakes that are making the Broncos a laughing stock with the national media.

Still, fans are already looking for ways out of Wilson’s recently signed massive long-term extension. The honeymoon is entirely over at 5280, and now it’s looking likely that the Broncos playoff drought will continue. Is this rock bottom? Well, we guess the meter could go to 0 or below it, but we weren’t expecting the barometer to have to go this low. It was calibrated to Hall of Fame quarterback, not more revolving door of Drew Lock, Teddy Bridgewater, Jeff Driskel, Brett Rypien, etc.

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