DENVER — Broncos Country had a lot to say the day after that sad loss to the Colts. Fans lit up the Denver7 Broncos Voicemail Hotline with more than 600 messages.
Some blame the team, others blame coach Nathaniel Hackett, and then there are those who place the blame squarely on the $245 million man — quarterback Russell Wilson.
Here’s a sampling:
“Yeah, hey. I was wondering if Russell Wilson came with a return policy? Because they sure as hell need to activate it,” said one caller. “200 and some million dollars for this?”
“Can they change Russell Wilson’s name to "Hustle" Wilson? Because that’s what he did was hustle Denver out of that contract. He sucks,” said another caller.
“I say fire them all,” said a third caller.
Broncos memes lit up social media Friday, including one of Wilson with his helmet on backwards. Another featured Wilson on an old Western wanted poster.
One fan on TikTok lamented about how much the Broncos are paying Russell Wilson.
“How much you pay for the new guy? $20 bucks. No. That's too much money. He’s no good," the creator said.
Fans also attacked other fans in our voicemail box.
“I believe if you’re a true Denver Broncos fan, you’re not going to boo your team,” someone said.
“I mean, leaving the game early? This town has had a lot of problems since Elway left about supporting the Broncos. And it’s a shame that nobody in Denver or the surrounding area cares about the Broncos,” said another caller. “Let’s ride.”
“I’d like to ask the Broncos if they can give me the last 3 ½ hours of my life back?” another person said.
“Russell Wilson was a huge mistake. That last pass in overtime, that was pitiful. He wasn’t even under pressure. Okay, gotta root for the Raiders. Just kiddin’. Bye,” a caller joked.
“Hey Denver – Chiefs Kingdom calling here. Whatever you guys are doing, like you did last night, keep it up. We love it,” Patrick Mahomes' No. 1 fan said.
“The Denver Broncos are absolutely disgusting. They’re an embarrassment to the city. They’re an embarrassment to the National Football League,” the person said.
One caller was not having it after our Denver7 sports team apologized to viewers for having to watch the game on Thursday night.
“I have never seen a group of sportscasters be such turncoats on their team. When they’re good, you can’t smile enough. And when they’re bad, you are just wicked. Just wicked. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Goodbye,” they said.
National sports writers, however, backed up our Denver7 team. Sports Illustrated wrote, “It’s more than fair to start pointing a finger at Russell Wilson.”
Wilson, for his part, shouldered the blame after the game.
“It’s very simple. At the end of the day, I gotta be better,” Wilson said in a postgame interview. “I gotta play better. Throwing two interceptions can’t happen. Can’t happen.”
The ride thus far has been bumpy for Broncos Country, but consider this – Peyton Manning also started out 2-3 in his first year with the Broncos. That Broncos team went on to win 11-straight, finishing the season at 13-3.
