The Los Angeles Rams gave the Denver Broncos a lump of coal and then some in their NFL Christmas Day matchup. Coming out on top 51-14 in a holiday shellacking, the Rams move to 5-10 with the win while the Broncos fall to 4-11. This game was only vying for draft position at this point and it showed, with both teams looking lackluster on the field.
Despite just playing for a draft position at this point in the season, Los Angeles Rams humiliated the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day with a 51-14 victory. The rams easily covered the 2.5 spread from FanDuel and DraftKings Colorado Sportsbook, while the total has gone over.
Defending Champs Suffered Even More
Sunday was definitely a low point for the Denver Broncos in what has been an abysmal season since week 1. Quarterback Jeff Wilson shouldered much of the blame, as he threw two costly interceptions early on that immediately set the Rams off on their march to victory. The first interception was terribly overthrown, while the other unfortunate toss was directly into linebacker Bobby Wagner’s hands over the middle.
After this, it was all downhill for Denver from there, as Los Angeles quickly raced out to a 17-point lead that they held onto for the balance of the game. It certainly hasn’t been an easy road for Denver this season, and this latest heartbreaking loss only further drives home that point.
Russell Wilson’s Problem, Still Unresolved
After enduring a tough night of pressure from the Los Angeles Rams defense, it came as no surprise to see Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson end the evening with six sacks under his belt while three of his passes ended up being intercepted. Darrell Murchison and Michael Hoecht were responsible for two and 1.5 sacks respectively, while Leonard Floyd and Bobby Wagner also impacted the game with one apiece. Jonah Williams was credited with a ‘half’ sack to round out the pack.
Aside from Wilson’s interceptions, backup QB Brett Rypien also got picked off by Cobie Durant who used his own wake of destruction to find the endzone for an impressive 85-yard pick-six score. Jalen Ramsey and Bobbie Wagner added one interception each to round off what was a night dominated by LA’s formidable defense.
Will Hackett be Replaced Next Season?
It was a sorry spectacle watching the Broncos’ defense crumble against the Rams on Christmas Day, as a JV offense from Los Angeles put up 31 points in the first half alone – more than they’d done in any other match this season. Denver’s Head Coach, Nathaniel Hackett, has overseen his team throughout its woes this season, and if he returns for another year there’ll be no shortage of angry Broncos fans.
But even Hackett’s departure may not fix the main issue here – something that Wilson must figure out. It looks like it could be quite a while yet before Denver can start to turn things around.