Hackett lets Russell Wilson set the pace in practice

The first day of training camp was pretty successful for the Denver Broncos defense as they got the better of the offense in what was mostly red zone work for the team on Wednesday. However, there were moments when the offense found some success with new quarterback Russell Wilson under center.

The defense should be getting the better of the offense early on as they are learning a new system with a new quarterback. One thing head coach Nathanial Hackett has done is allowing Wilson be the pace setter in practice.

“We talked about that,” Hackett said on Wednesday. “As a coach you want to get as many reps as you possibly can, but you want to do it within the confines of taking care of the players. The whole thing is based off that QB. So how those guys run the practice is how it’s going to look. As we keep moving forward and they get used to it—the play calls and continue to master the system—then they will maybe go a little bit quicker, and maybe slow it down some. Once again, it’s all about that quarterback. As fast as he wants to go, I want to go.”

Hackett very much seems like a guy who lets the players conduct themselves as pros and acts more as a manager who guides and supports from the sidelines. It’s quite a different feel over Vic Fangio who seemed more of an enforcer. The change seems to be a welcome one from the veterans on the roster and with Russell Wilson you can almost guarantee he’ll set a pace as strong as any coach would set.

Communication between quarterback and head coach is also key and that’s an area that Hackett said is already strong and positive.

“We have great communication between all of us,” Hackett said. “I think that right now, we’re working on the foundation of everything and there is a system that we put in for a very specific reason as we go day-by-day. As we continually go and get a feel for what we’re good at and what he likes, that’s when we’ll start focusing on that. We’re constantly talking all the time about everything—new adjustments, new things that we can do—just like during a week.”

Being on the same page will help this offense reach its maximum potential in year one.

I am sure my fellow fans would agree that this is the most excited about a season we’ve been in at least a half decade. All the news is likely to be optimistic as there is a lot to be optimistic about right now.