Russell Wilson's debut season in Denver has hardly gone swimmingly so far.
Regardless, he's built up enough equity during a career that's featured nine Pro Bowl trips and a Super Bowl win for Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill to expect nothing less than an elite quarterback when Wilson's Broncos come to visit on Monday.
"We're expecting the best Russell," Hill said. "We know what he is capable of. He's done it in the past. In our eyes, and our belief is that, he is going to be the guy that is ready to go out there on Monday night, in front of the whole world, and get it done."
Wilson and the Broncos offense haven't gotten much of anything done so far. Denver (2-3) enters Monday’s game against the Chargers (3-2) ranked 31st in scoring and dead last in red-zone offense. The Broncos are likewise riding into SoCal on a two-game losing streak with their last loss coming in the form of a dreadful touchdown-less 12-9 defeat against the Indianapolis Colts.
Thus far, Wilson has thrown just four touchdown passes -- his lowest output through five weeks in his career -- and has recorded a completion percentage (59.4%) and passer rating (82.8) that would each be the worst of his tenure.
This isn't the norm for Wilson, though, and Hill is wary of the quarterback turning it on at the Bolts' expense.
"We have to make sure that we're taking care of what we need to do in order to play some good football on our end," Hill said.
Having recently received an injection in his shoulder to combat a strained latissimus dorsi, Wilson said Thursday he'd be ready to go Monday.
With his health a concern, there's likewise the lingering issue of him getting acclimated to rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett's offense.
Hill found himself defending Wilson before he'll send his Chargers out to defend against the QB.
"Russell is a Super Bowl champion," Hill said. "He's still finding his rhythm within that scheme. A new person moving into a new scheme, but he has command. You know that he knows what he is looking for, having experience in this league. He still can make all of the throws. His nine-ball is still one of the prettiest in the league. The more and more opportunities that he gets, with him coach Hackett, in that system, and they get it grooved out, we know that good things are going to happen.
"We all know Russell -- if he gets going, it can be a scary movie. That can happen at any point, so we have to make sure that we're prepared and ready to go."
