This offseason, Russell Wilson was excited to be traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos so that he could power their offense to success in a way he wasn’t able to with his former team. So far this season, Wilson’s replacement is outpacing him in a pretty significant statistic that could be cause for concern.
Per ESPN analytics expert Seth Walder, Wilson is currently ranked 21st in the NFL in QBR, a rating system that accounts for all of a quarterback’s actions in the game. Meanwhile, Geno Smith, Wilson’s former backup and now replacement in Seattle is ranked 10th in the league.
Geno Smith is 10th in QBR this season. Russell Wilson is 21st.
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) September 26, 2022
The Broncos are currently 2-1 but their offense has been listless at times. Wilson currently has 743 yards passing with two touchdowns and one pick, but the Broncos have yet to score more than 16 points in a game, leaving them ranked 30th overall in the NFL.
Meanwhile, while Seattle is 1-2, that win came over Wilson’s Broncos, and Smith is completing 77 percent of his passes and doing his part to keep the Seahawks competitive.
Seahawks fans and others around the NFL are having some fun with Wilson’s situation and statistics.
Insane https://t.co/nsUNeHejFX
— Eddie Francis (@yourboyeddie) September 26, 2022
https://t.co/up9l05NyjE pic.twitter.com/ssJRjrjwFR
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) September 26, 2022
https://t.co/S6xANCiy6I pic.twitter.com/PevaWbHRfK
— Just Whitney (@trumplostsuckit) September 26, 2022
If my entire job was based around football stats, moments like this would be so disheartening https://t.co/FYQmzpSTAI
— Seaside Joe: Daily Seahawks Newsletter (@seasidejoenews) September 26, 2022
There’s a lot of season left ahead of us, but so far, the Russell Wilson Era hasn’t quite packed a punch for the Broncos.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.