Broncos disrespected by 'way to early' power rankings for 2023
I know 2022 was a crappy season in terms of the expectations we had set for what the Broncos were supposed to do in 2022. But, none of that came true, and now we are moving on to what is supposed to be a better and brighter season in 2023. ESPN came out with something […]
I know 2022 was a crappy season in terms of the expectations we had set for what the Broncos were supposed to do in 2022. But, none of that came true, and now we are moving on to what is supposed to be a better and brighter season in 2023.
ESPN came out with something they do every year, their way to early power rankings the day after the Super Bowl. This time, the Broncos were disrespected, and the 2022 season has barely finished.
Per Jeff Legwold of ESPN, the Broncos are the 27th-ranked team for the 2023 season, which is disrespectful in my opinion.
Before I say why, here is why Legwold thinks that:
"Sean Payton is taking over a team that has played playoff-level defense (again) but hasn't scored more than 20.8 points per game in a season since 2015 and hasn't finished in the league's top 15 in scoring since 2014. The Broncos have cycled through 10-plus quarterbacks and fired three coaches since January 2019. Payton is now tasked with repairing quarterback Russell Wilson's game, but the bottom line is if he can't get Wilson and the rest of the Broncos to score more touchdowns, he'll eventually join a growing list of those who have failed that task."
The Broncos were very very bad last season, so part of me understands why this ranking is so low. But, when you think about why they were so bad, and the things they have already changed since the end of the season, they should at least be a little higher.
Nathaniel Hackett had never run an offense before as a head coach, and it was noticeable. Sean Payton has, and he has run offenses that are some of the best in the league. He has turned around franchises.
Then add in the moves this team can make in free agency to fix some issues, and the draft as well even without the first-round pick.
This time will be better than last year, and it isn't hard to do it.
You can read the rest of the rankings here.
Featured Image Via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
