Shannon Sharpe is taking the Denver Broncos’ 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Southern California badly. Sharpe placed the blame squarely on Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson for the team’s dismal 4-11 record and abysmal play on Sunday. Amid the fame and celebrity wife, Russ isn’t Russ — or is he?
Under The Hot Lights
“I don’t want to take anything away from Baker; Baker made some big-time throws,” Sharpe said on his FOX Sports show Undisputed. “They brought the blitz, he stood in there, made some big-time throws; but this is Russ. You know they said let Russ cook. They let Russ cook on Christmas, and he burned the God-dang gone meal and everybody went hungry, thanks to Russ cooking.
“He had a 3.6 QBR 3.6! I had forgot the game was on so I turned to the game; they already down 17 nothing, I’m thinking, wow, what happened and then they put up the screen, Russ has two interceptions already. So now you’re already against the eight ball.”
.@ShannonSharpe rips Russell Wilson following Broncos 51-14 loss vs. Rams:
“They let Russ cook on Christmas and he burned the meal. And everyone went hungry. This was bad, Russell looks lost.” pic.twitter.com/udBNmgQuxI
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) December 26, 2022
Sharpe played for the Broncos during the 1990-199 season and again in his swan song year of 2002-2003. His love for the team is legendary, and he felt the need to lambast Wilson for letting down the team and not acting the part his position demands: leadership. Sharpe had a stern warning for Wilson; the organization can replace you.
“That’s my team, that’s my franchise, I bleed blue and orange, but those guys weren’t ready to play,” Sharpe continued. “I’m a tell you what’s going to happen now that’s new ownership. They didn’t hire you; you was hired before they got there. They got a lot of money; they’ll eat that money for a coach. Aye, Russ, you better get on your grind. You better make sure that they know it was a blip and not a trend, because they’ll eat your money next year.”
“Well it’s looking trendy to me,” his co-host Skip Bayless chimed in.
“It started from the opening day, ‘well you know it’s going to take some time.’ You ‘ have a whole lot of time. They don’t let players, especially veteran players — rookies, they don’t even let rookies get time no more, because that clock starts clicking too quick. The $200 million paydays are coming but Russ is bad. Baker played unbelievable.”
Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett was fired Monday after the game.
"I think it's the first of many firings"
—@RSherman_25 expects the Broncos to make more changes beyond firing Nathaniel Hackett pic.twitter.com/qbsuzNblT3
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) December 27, 2022
Russell’s Great Fall
Wilson threw two interceptions on his first three pass attempts of the game, and the Rams turned each of those into touchdowns, so after their opening field goal drive, they had a 17-0 lead after the Broncos ran five plays. For Sharpe, the now 5-10 Rams aren’t capable of scoring that high on their own; Russ’s blunders made Baker and Rams coach Sean McVay look like veritable superheroes.
Here are the two plays before the blowup on the Broncos sideline between Dalton Risner and Brett Rypien.
Rypien was apparently mad that no one helped Russell Wilson up after either sack. pic.twitter.com/o1XM4Cp373
— Dan Zaksheske (@RealDanZak) December 26, 2022
“The Rams can’t run the ball a lick,” Sharpe continued. “Cam Akers looking like ED! I’m like, ‘Damn, when they sign ED [Rams legend Eric Dickerson] back. This was bad all the way around. Fifty-one points! Sean McVay is a great offensive mind, but how the hell you diagram 51 points? Hell, you ain’t score 51 points when everything was clicking last year.
“I apologize, Bronco Country, y’all deserve better than this, and I hope its gets better next year, because if it doesn’t get better, everything got to go. My grandmother used to say ‘let the head go with the hide.’ We’re gong to leave you down. Don’t pick him up.”
Russell Wilson’s departure from Seattle into the Rocky Mountains was supposed to herald a new era. Now Wilson faces the most scrutiny in a fickle football league. His survival in Colorado hinges on his next few plays, or his days could be numbered in Denver.
