As Old HC Nathaniel Hackett Comes to Town, Sean Payton Lays Down the Building Blocks for Denver Broncos

Published 10/07/2023, 6:26 AM EDT

The Denver Broncos finally got their first win of the season on Sunday. Beating the Chicago Bears 31-28 in a thrilling comeback led by QB Russell Wilson. But head coach Sean Payton is not satisfied with the performance. As the Broncos look forward to hosting the New York Jets at Empower Field, fans will see the return of a familiar face, former head coach Nathaniel Hackett.

The 43-year-old Hackett holds a distinction that rarely would anyone want to have. He became only the 5th coach last season to be ever sacked from a job before the completion of the season, since 1970. Super Bowl Winner HC for New Orleans Saints Sean Payton has previously blasted Hackett but now wants to defeat him as well.

Sean Payton’s mantra for the victory

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After getting their first win of the season against The Bears, Sean Payton has mapped out the areas of advancement he needs from the team. “Collectively… operation, offense, communication defense those areas I think we need to improve on,” Payton told media before the important clash of new vs old coaches.

HC Payton earlier this year told ESPN “One of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.” He referred to Hackett’s tenure with the Broncos. Hackett is now the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets. QB Russell Wilson suffered his worst season in the NFL under Hackett and their relationship was on the ropes. Payton in this regard said, “20 dirty hands”, with Wilson’s lackluster performance.

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Former Super Bowl winner with the Seattle Seahawks, Russel Wilson has started this season efficiently. With 9 TDs and a passing record of almost 70% in the first four games, Wilson looks to have a great season for the Broncos but will have to look out for the namesake, Zach Wilson QB for the New York Jets.

It’s the old guard vs. the new guard

Russell Wilson and Zach Wilson are separated by a decade in their ages. But the 24-year-old Wilson in the absence of his mentor Aaron Rodgers has picked up the mantle. His performance against the Chiefs in a losing effort was praiseworthy and the youngster will look to build upon his newfound confidence. Moreover, the squad’s coach Hackett helped the Jets move on from their 23-20 loss. A primetime contest broadcast on NBC boasted Zach Wilson’s career-high 28 passes for 245 yards with 2 TDs, 0 INTs, and a 71.8% completion percentage.

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“He understood what we were trying to accomplish within that game, the different plays that we had, the ways we’re trying to attack them, and he was unbelievably efficient whether it was throwing the ball down the field, making plays,” Hackett said. “He had one great check that ended up being an explosive play and that is something that is very exciting for us to see that he was able to take advantage of. So, you see him grow every game and I think that’s what you are looking for is just continually to get better.”

But, the 34-year-old Wilson has a mammoth amount of experience and will look to utilize that. He has played 176 games in his career so the guy definitely comes with experience despite the turbulence. The game between the Broncos and the Jets will feature two quarterbacks with different backgrounds, different styles, and different expectations. But they both share one thing: a desire to win.

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The game will kick off at 2:25 p.m. MT on Sunday, October 8th at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium. It will be an exciting matchup between two teams looking for their second win of the season.

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Written by:

Utkarsh Tiwari is an NFL writer at EssentiallySports. He is interested in covering off-court and entertainment topics. A fan of the NFL at heart, Utkarsh intends to talk about the NFL stars and their ‘behind-the-scenes’ stories.

Edited by:

Mallika Singh

As Old HC Nathaniel Hackett Comes to Town, Sean Payton Lays Down the Building Blocks for Denver Broncos

Sean Payton’s mantra for the victory

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It’s the old guard vs. the new guard