There was much fanfare surrounding the Denver Broncos when they hired Nathaniel Hackett as head coach.
After all, he succeeded as Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator.
He also helped the Jacksonville Jaguars reach the 2017 AFC Championship Game.
Unfortunately, those high hopes immediately crashed as the Broncos have struggled to score.
While they ranked 17th in total yards per game with 343.6, they are the second-worst team in terms of scoring at 15 points per game.
Only the Indianapolis Colts, the team that defeated them in their Week 5 Thursday Night Football game, has a worse average (13.8).
The Colts did not do much either, and yet they succeeded with a 12-9 score.
This defeat should be the final wedge for Hackett, as ESPN Sports Betting Analyst Doug Kezirian shared.
Honestly, I would fire Hackett. The NFL is not a finishing school. He's clearly out of his league. High school coaches don't even make those mistakes
— Doug Kezirian (@DougESPN) October 7, 2022
Kezirian tweeted, “Honestly, I would fire Hackett. The NFL is not a finishing school. He’s clearly out of his league. High school coaches don’t even make those mistakes.”
Hackett had several options in delivering what could have been the game-winning touchdown.
Melvin Gordon could run the ball to the end zone, and a misdirection play could have delivered a favorable result.
Instead, Russell Wilson threw to Courtland Sutton despite excellent coverage by Stephon Gilmore.
Meanwhile, K.J. Hamler was open, and a quick strike could have given them a 3-2 record.
Hackett Leaves, But Wilson Stays
An argument can be made that Hackett had success as an offensive coordinator because someone can veto his calls.
He had Doug Marrone in Jacksonville and Matt LaFleur in Green Bay.
Without him, the Packers still have a 3-1 record and have shaken off their struggles during their season-opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
But even if the Broncos fire Hackett, nothing will happen if Wilson continues to struggle.
After all, he is the man that runs the plays coming from the sidelines.
NEXT: Russell Wilson Can't Complete The Most Basic Task Of All