Broncos’ Nathaniel Hackett has ‘one more week, maybe two’: NFC executive

One NFC executive thinks Nathaniel Hackett is on borrowed time as head coach of the Broncos.

“I’d give him one more week, maybe two,” the unnamed exec told The Score’s Jordan Schultz. “Otherwise, this season’s over before it even started.”

A season that began with so much promise after acquiring Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson in the offseason has quickly come undone for the Broncos.

They opened the season on “Monday Night Football” in Seattle, where Wilson was greeted with boos as he ran out on to the field. Late in the game, Hackett let the game clock wind down to attempt a 64-yard field goal for the win rather than asking his $245 million quarterback to pick up five yards on fourth down. The field goal missed and the Broncos lost.

In Week 2, Broncos fans trolled their head coach by counting down the play clock while their team was on offense. Fortunately for the fans and Hackett, the Broncos won that game over the Houston Texans.

Denver then snuck out a win over the 49ers, 11-10, in Week 3, but in Week 4 lost to the then-winless Oakland Raiders.

Denver had the opportunity to right the ship quickly, playing the Colts on “Thursday Night Football.” But the game was absent significant scoring, ending in a 12-9 Colts win in overtime that was not without another questionable Hackett call.

Down three points, Hackett could have elected to kick a short field goal on a 4th and 1 from the Colts 5-yard line. Instead, he kept his offense on the field and a Russell Wilson pass intended for wide receiver Courtland Sutton was broken up in the end zone.

Despite Wilson’s failed attempt — he also failed to spot a wide open KJ Hamler, who spiked his helmet in disgust — Hackett shouldered some blame, though the quarterback

“I know Russell feels bad about that game, but it’s not just on him,” Hackett said. “It’s on all of us. It’s on the entire team, and for us to learn from this and grow, grow from all five games that we’ve had. We’ve got a little time off. Everybody can take a breath.”

Hackett has coached the Broncos to the second-lowest scoring offense in the NFL this season, with Denver averaging a meager 15 points per game. If that trend continues, the first-year head coach might become the first NFL coach fired this season.