The 3-6 Denver Broncos need a win over the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday if they want any kind of chance to make a late run at a wild card spot, and first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett is making a big change on offense that he hopes sparks this unit. Per NFL Media, Hackett is turning over play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak.
Hackett reportedly informed the team of his decision during a Saturday night meeting, passionately telling his players that he's willing to do whatever it takes to turn this campaign around. The son of Gary Kubiak was reportedly chosen because he has called plays before. He did so for Mike Zimmer with the Minnesota Vikings just last season. While Kubiak is now calling the plays, this whole process will reportedly remain a collaborative one with Hackett and offensive coordinator Justin Outten.
Kubiak served as an offensive assistant with Denver from 2016 to 2018 before making the jump to Minnesota, where he served as the quarterbacks coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator for the 2021 season -- replacing his father, who retired.
The Broncos hope this decision leads quarterback Russell Wilson to play his best ball of the season. So far, the former Seahawk ranks No. 28 in passer rating (81.4), and has completed 57 percent of his passes -- which ranks worst in his career.
The Broncos currently have the No. 22 offense in the NFL, as they average 327.1 yards per game. However, they rank dead last in points scored this season with 131 (14.6 points per game), which are Denver's fewest points scored through nine games since 1966. The Broncos rank last in red-zone percentage (35%) and second-to-last in third-down percentage (29%).
