The air is apparently getting thinner for head coach Nathaniel Hackett at the Denver Broncos. Will the 42-year-old be allowed to finish out the season in his first stint as head coach?

Munich – Things are anything but going well for the Denver Broncos. After twelve games, the franchise is in fourth place in the AFC West with a record of 3-8.

Yet everything was supposed to be different at the beginning of the season.

A new head coach and a new franchise quarterback, who came from Seattle in a blockbuster trade, should make the new start in Denver successful. After a 2-1 start, however, things now look bleak, and a playoff appearance would almost be tantamount to a miracle.

Broncos fans have scapegoat

Broncos fans have quickly found a scapegoat for the current misery with the completely disappointing quarterback Russell Wilson. Not without reason, because the Broncos traded several high-level draft picks to Seattle for the ex-Seahawks star. But Wilson is playing far below his potential in Denver – in general, the team chemistry doesn’t seem to be right.

But to blame Wilson alone for the failure would not be fair. Head coach Nathaniel Hackett must also be added to the equation. The pressure on Hackett in his NFL debut season is mounting by the week, as he too has failed to live up to expectations thus far.

“Nobody is as frustrated as I am “

When asked about the fans’ disappointment, Hackett responded after the recent 10-23 loss to the Carolina Panthers, “Nobody is as frustrated as I am. This is not where we wanted to be at this point in the season.”

But Hackett takes responsibility and takes his team to task after the poor performance, “None of us thought it would be like this, and the responsibility is all mine. “

Can Hackett play the full 17 games?

“I don’t blame the fans for being frustrated either. I know I have to work and get my act together with our team. I believe in this team and I believe in these players,” Hackett stressed.

However, his chair is shaking badly at the latest after the embarrassing defeat against the Panthers. But NFL expert Mike Florio does not believe that he will be fired this season. “They’re not going to fire him during the season, that would be pretty amazing,” Florio said, arguing that only four coaches in NFL history have been fired during their first season.

One of those was Urban Meyer, who had to pack his bags during last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“Someone needs to get Wilson on track “

Florio, meanwhile, is more likely to believe that it’s over after this season – with the Broncos and Hackett virtually saying goodbye already. “I don’t think they’re going to give him another chance in 2023. They need someone to get Russell Wilson back on track.”

What makes things even more difficult for Hackett is the Broncos’ brutal remaining schedule. In the last six games of the season, they face direct competition from the division three times: twice against the Kansas City Chiefs and once against the Los Angeles Chargers.

In Week 13, however, the Baltimore Ravens with Lamar Jackson await.