Russell Wilson's brutal Christmas Day included 3 interceptions, getting roasted by Patrick Star from 'Spongebob Squarepants,' and his head coach getting fired
AP Photo/Marcio J. Sanchez // @NFL/Twitter
- Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos lost to the Los Angeles Rams 51-14 on Christmas Day.
- The game was simulcast on Nickelodeon, leading to Spongebob's Patrick Star roasting Wilson after an interception.
- The Broncos season-long struggles finally led to the dismissal of head coach Nathaniel Hackett after the game.
Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos did not have a very merry Christmas.
Facing off against the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day, Wilson threw three interceptions en route to a 51-14 shellacking.
The game was dreadful from the start for Wilson, who threw two interceptions on his first three passes of the day, leaving the Broncos in a 17-0 hole in the first 10 minutes of action.
Adding insult to injury was the fact that the game was being broadcast not just as a CBS national game, but also as a kid-friendly broadcast on Nickelodeon.
The timing of the Broncos' poor performance led to some surreal moments of television, none moreso than Patrick Star of "Spongebob Squarepants" openly mocking the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
"Oh no! That's called an interception!" Star explained after Wilson's second pick of the day. "That's not what he wanted to cook."
—tesla superfan (@lib_crusher) December 25, 2022
It was a reference to "Let Russ Cook," the motto Seahawks fans adopted in the quarterback's later seasons in Seattle to encourage seeing him throw the ball more. With Wilson and the Broncos struggling this year, "Let Russ Cook" has become a meme referenced when he makes a bad throw, and was now being used by a beloved children's television character.
—Andrew Bucholtz (@AndrewBucholtz) December 25, 2022
The struggles didn't end there for Wilson and the Broncos. As the game continued to develop into a blowout, the Nickelodeon antics continued to sting a bit extra.
—alex (@highlghtheaven) December 25, 2022
The Broncos weren't the only ones that fell victim to Nickelodeon though, as commentators Tony Romo and Jim Nantz were digitally slimed at one point during the broadcast.
—Announcer Schedules (@announcerskeds) December 25, 2022
After the Rams took a 31-6 lead into halftime, the game rolled on in slow motion until things mercifully ended at 51-14.
The next day, the Broncos announced that head coach Nathaniel Hackett had been fired, less than a year into taking the job.
—Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 26, 2022
With the loss, the Broncos fell to 4-11 on the season. While most teams in such a dire spot so late in the season would at least be able to look forward to a top pick in the coming draft, the Broncos dealt away their first-round pick in 2023 to the Seahawks, as a part of the deal that brought Wilson to Denver.
The Broncos can hope for a better 2023, but chances are the new year is going to get off to a rough start, as their first game comes on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs, against whom they've lost 14 straight times.