LONDON — Broncos general manager George Paton on Thursday expressed support for and confidence in embattled first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett and quarterback Russell Wilson.
Paton, speaking with reporters here as Denver prepares for a Sunday game against Jacksonville at Wembley Stadium, gave Hackett a vote of confidence despite a 2-5 start to his head coaching tenure that has featured an NFL-worst offense and a series of high-profile, early season game-management errors.
“I believe in Nathaniel. I support Nathaniel 100%,” Paton said. “He’s been in this for seven games as a head coach. The scrutiny he’s faced is unprecedented. We’ve had four prime-time games, so he’s kind of had to learn in front of the entire world. I really like how he’s kept the team together. They’re connected.
“He’s kept our building together and I appreciate how he’s fought through that.”
The second-year general manager said that, even amid a four-game losing streak, he’s seen growth from his head coach.
“I see the day-to-day with Nathaniel,” he said. “I see him in front of the team. He’s kept this team together. It’s hard to lose five games like we’ve lost and Nathaniel has great leadership and he’s kept this team together, he’s kept his coaching staff and really our entire building together.”
Hackett after Thursday’s practice said he appreciated the support from his boss.
“Up to this point, George has been an amazing partner throughout all of this,” the rookie coach said. “The good and the bad, you learn a lot about people throughout a process like this. We’re growing as a team and I’m growing as a partner with George. It’s great to work with him.
“He really has been great and supportive throughout this whole thing.”
However, Paton acknowledged the clear lack of success Denver’s offense has suffered with Hackett calling plays and said overall the franchise needs, “to learn how to win.”
“We need to play better on offense,” Paton said. “The timing and the rhythm (needs to improve) and we need an identity. We really don’t have an identity on offense and I think that comes with time and, again, hopefully it comes soon.”
Hackett said the best way he knows to attempt to expedite that process is to stay consistent.
“Just be me,” he said of his leadership style. “In the end, you’re frustrated, but at the same time you can’t change. Hold everybody accountable, make sure you’re still enjoying yourself no matter what. This is a hard game but it’s a great game and I’m very happy to be here. As you do all this, you never change. You keep grinding, keep doing the same things, look at the things you can change to help from the standpoint of scheme and different things like that.
“But when it comes to who you are, you’ve just got to stay the course no matter what the weather is.”
Paton also expressed confidence in Wilson, who has struggled to play at a consistently high level through his first six games and missed Denver’s most recent game with a hamstring injury. Paton traded five draft picks and three players to Seattle in March for Wilson and then signed him to a five-year contract extension worth up to $245 million just before the regular season began.
“We’re in for the long haul with Russ, not the first seven games,” Paton said. “We believe in Russ and I believe in Russ.”
Paton said he does not see a diminished player physically in the 33-year-old quarterback.
“We just wanted to get ahead of the contract cycle,” Paton said of signing Wilson to an extension before he played a game in Denver. “We had saw how Russ was in the offseason, in training camp, felt really good about Russ and we feel really good about Russ. We wanted to get ahead of it and we didn’t want any distractions. We feel really good about it.
“I feel good about that deal. I feel like it will hold up. I feel good about Russ.”
