The Denver Broncos offered a view of the road moving forward on Tuesday, one day after head coach Nathaniel Hackett was fired.

At a press conference Tuesday, Broncos CEO Greg Penner offered an apology to “Broncos Country” with the team now in search of its fourth different head coach since Gary Kubiak led the club to a Super Bowl victory at the end of the 2015 season.

“When we purchased this great franchise in August, this was not the season we were expecting, and it has been a season that has been disappointing for our fans and what they deserve,” Penner said.

With high hopes after the addition of quarterback Russell Wilson in the offseason, the Broncos are 4-11 this season and just 3-10 under Wilson. The decision to fire Hackett came after Wilson threw three interceptions in Sunday’s brutal 51-14 loss on Christmas Day against the Los Angeles Rams.

Wilson has completed a career-low 60.1 percent of his passes for 3,019 yards with just 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

“We saw flashes of Russ this year. He will be the first one to tell you he didn’t play up to his standard,” Penner said.

Said general manager George Paton: “We know he can play better and will put in work to be better.”

Penner said Tuesday he intended to part ways with Hackett at the end of the season but sped up the timetable after Sunday’s embarrassing defeat.

Paton went a step further.

“I take full responsibility for where we are as a football team,” he said. “I brought in the head coach, I brought in most of the players, those are my decisions and there’s no one to blame but me.

“I just want to be clear. This isn’t just about the coaching. This isn’t just about Nathaniel. This is about the entire football operation. This about the personnel, the players, the staff, everyone involved with our football team. It has to be better across the board. I have to be better.”

The Broncos signed Wilson to a five-year, $245 million contract extension with $165 million guaranteed before the start of the season. That was after trading tight end Noah Fant, defensive tackle Shelby Harris, quarterback Drew Lock, first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, second-round selections in 2022 and 2023 and a 2022 fifth-rounder to Seattle.

The Broncos rank last in the NFL in scoring with just 15.5 points per game.

Denver will complete the season with assistant Jerry Rosburg as the interim head coach. The interim position was offered to defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, but he declined, preferring to focus on the defense.

Evero is expected to be a candidate for a full-time position, although he has never been a full-time NFL head coach. Each of the team’s last three head coaches – Hackett, Vic Fangio and Vance Joseph – were all first-time head coaches when they were hired by the team.

“I am a big believer that if start with the right culture, right people, right resources and expectations, we can build a winning team,” Penner said. “And I don’t think it takes a number of years. The focus will be turning it around next year.”

–Field Level Media

Five-time All-Pro J.J. Watt announced his retirement after 12 NFL seasons on Tuesday.

The defensive end posted a photo of himself with his wife, Kealia, and their infant son, Koa, to social media with the following statement:

“Koa’s first ever NFL game.

“My last ever NFL home game.

“My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure.”

Koa’s first ever NFL game.
My last ever NFL home game.

My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure.

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— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) December 27, 2022

The photo was taken at the Arizona Cardinals’ Christmas Day overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Watt has two road games left with the Cardinals — Sunday at Atlanta and Jan. 8 at San Francisco.

Watt, 33, leaves behind a legacy of greatness on and off the field. A five time Pro Bowl honoree, he also was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2010s Team and three times selected the Defensive Player of the Year. In 2017, he was named the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year and the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year after he spearheaded a fundraising effort that brought in more than $37 million in Hurricane Harvey relief for the Houston community, where he played with the Texans.

The Texans selected Watt with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, and he spent 10 seasons there. The Wisconsin native signed as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals before the 2021 season.

In his first five seasons, he was a dominant and feared defensive force, twice posting 20-plus sacks and winning Defensive Player of the Year honors 2012, 2014 and 2015. But serious injuries limited him in four of the next six seasons, and he lost a half-season or more in each of those four years.

For his career, Watt has appeared in 149 games (all starts), with 580 tackles (191 for loss), 313 quarterback hits and 111.5 sacks. He also intercepted two passes — returning both for touchdowns — forced 27 fumbles and recovered 17, and broke up 69 passes.

As a weapon on offense, he also caught three passes for four yards — and three touchdowns — with the Texans in a dominant 2014 season.

In 14 games with the Cardinals this season, Watt has made 33 tackles (14 for loss) and posted 21 quarterback hits, 9.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

–Field Level Media

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. entered concussion protocol after administering a hit that led to his ejection from Monday night’s 20-3 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

James was flagged for unnecessary roughness at 5:19 of the second quarter after he led with the crown of his helmet while delivering a hit on Colts wide receiver Ashton Dulin. Both James and Dulin ventured to their respective blue medical tents on the sideline.

Dulin was diagnosed with a concussion and didn’t return to the game.

Chargers coach Brandon Staley said that he did not agree with the ejection of James. He alluded to the fact that Nick Foles’ pass led Dulin directly into the hit by James.

“I know Derwin’s intent, you have to establish intent, and I thought that he tried to lead with his shoulder,” Staley said. “It’s a play where (the Colts) obviously laid the guy out in a tough position, which is their fault, not ours, and Derwin made an aggressive play.

“We’ll have to look at it, but I know what Derwin’s intentions are. I’ve seen him make a lot of tackles on plays just like that and I know that his target was not above the neck.”

James, 26, had just returned following a two-game absence due to a quadriceps injury. He has 109 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles in 13 games this season.

Named to his third Pro Bowl this season, James has 366 tackles, 9.5 sacks, seven interceptions and five forced fumbles since being selected by the Chargers with the 17th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

–Field Level Media

The Dallas Cowboys rallied from a 10-point deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles on Christmas Eve, but is there enough time left in the season for a change atop the NFC East standings?

Dallas (11-4) opens Week 17 at Tennessee (7-8) and if the Cowboys win out while the Eagles (13-2) drop home games to the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants with starting quarterback Jalen Hurts sidelined, the playoff pecking order would be turned on its head. The Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers remain in the hunt for the top seed in the conference.

Here’s a look at the playoff scenarios for all teams entering Week 17:

–NFC
Overall conference standings:
Team W L T
Eagles 13 2
Vikings 12 3
49ers 11 4
Buccaneers 7 8
Cowboys 11 4
Giants 8 6 1
Commanders 7 7 1
Seahawks 7 8
Lions 7 8
Packers 7 8
Panthers 6 9
Saints 6 9

Clinched playoff spot: Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers

Can clinch playoff spot in Week 17: New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders

How the Giants get in: New York can clinch a wild-card spot by beating the Indianapolis Colts. There are multiple scenarios, some of them complex, in which the Giants can earn a playoff spot this weekend with a tie against the Colts.

How the Buccaneers get in: Tampa Bay is in with a victory over the Carolina Panthers this week. A loss puts the Panthers in the same position in Week 18.

How the Commanders get in: If the Commanders win, they can grab a wild-card spot with Week 17 losses by the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.

–AFC
Overall conference standings:
Team W L
Bills 12 3
Chiefs 12 3
Bengals11 4
Jaguars 7 8
Ravens 10 5
Chargers 9 6
Dolphins 8 7
Patriots 7 8
Jets 7 8
Titans 7 8
Steelers 7 8

Clinched playoff spot: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers.

Can clinch playoff spot in Week 17: Miami Dolphins

How the Dolphins get in: Miami can crash the postseason with a win over the New England Patriots and a New York Jets’ loss to the Seahawks.

–Field Level Media