NFL best bets and predictions Week 17
Never one to take the blame when his team is failing, Broncos coach Sean Payton finally executed his plan to make quarterback Russell Wilson the scapegoat. Payton is an egomaniac with power, the kind of guy who looks in the mirror and sees perfection in himself and flaws in the people around him.
Payton throwing Russ under the bus is no surprise at all. Wilson has flaws, and his performance has declined the past three seasons, but Denver’s loss to New England on Christmas Eve had more to do with Payton’s game-management blunders and poor play calling. Still, Wilson is taking the fall, benched in favor of Jarrett Stidham for Sunday’s game against the Chargers.
The focus is now on Payton to help prove it was the right move. If the Broncos are not noticeably better offensively against a bad Los Angeles defense, who will Payton blame next? DraftKings made Denver a 5-point favorite against the Chargers before Wilson’s benching, and the line dipped to 3.5 with Stidham announced as the new starter.
Wilson is tied for sixth in the NFL in touchdown passes (26), and the Broncos rank 16th in scoring (21.8 ppg), yet there are plenty of numbers that show Denver’s offense is below average. While Stidham could provide a boost, he will be without wide receiver Courtland Sutton (concussion) and might also be missing receivers Jerry Jeudy and Marvin Mims, who did not practice Friday and are listed as questionable.