One anonymous AFC defensive coach offered a blunt reminder about Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton.
Payton is 18-16 as the Broncos’ head coach, a mark that belies his reputation as a Super Bowl champion and the team’s 10-win regular season in 2024 with a rookie quarterback (Bo Nix) at the helm.
Moreover, it belies Payton’s reputation as a respected offensive mind.
Rival Coach Praises Broncos HC Sean Payton
GettyHead coach Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos have plenty to figure out at the RB position.
The coach’s comments come as part of an editorial from The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen, focusing on the top playcallers around the league. Other coaches are “systematic” schematically.
Payton uses a “barrage of personnel groupings and pre-snap movement.”
“The first 15 (plays) is a motherf—– with them. It’s big (personnel), little (personnel) every play, and they try to just create chaos with the subs and play games with all that s—, and then they mix modes with the no huddle and all that,” the coach said, per Nguyen on September 2. “They put guys in the right spots, fit the pieces together well, where like everyone has their role with that.
“Then it’s a diverse offense where you’ve got to defend two-back, one-back, four-by-one, RPOs, QB-driven, YY sets. And it’s all the stuff you got prepared for. And that makes you just say, f— it, we just got to be simple. There’s so much noise where you can’t really pin them down.”
Payton, who ranked No. 8 on the list, is 170-105 in his career, and in his 17 seasons as an active head coach, his offenses have ranked outside the top 10 in scoring four times.
One of those was in 2022, his first season with the Broncos, who ranked 10th in 2024.
Legendary QB Backs Bo Nix-Sean Payton Combo
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks to Bo Nix #10 during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Payton’s former star quarterback with the Saints, Drew Brees, believes Nix is perfectly equipped to operate his ex-coach’s scheme for the Broncos.
Likewise, Brees, who won a Super Bowl with Payton in 2009, believes he will maximize Nix.
“The system is fun to watch. Obviously, there’s still a ton of the core concepts that exist. The offense always evolves, just like it did when we were playing together. Because you know that every year, people are studying your offense,” Brees said on “This Is Football” on September 1. “Also, you’re sitting there stealing ideas from other places and into the guys that you have.
“You’re always trying to stay cutting edge and stay ahead of the curve. And I think we always wanted to feel like we were setting the standard for how offensive football should be played. And so, I watch. I love watching the Broncos. Love watching Sean. Man, Bo Nix is a really fun quarterback to watch. I think he’s got all the traits, all the tools. Great athlete. Really, really runs well. I don’t think he gets enough credit for how well he runs.”
“Big, strong athlete. Obviously, great with the short intermediate passing game. Very accurate. Gets the ball out of his hands quickly, but can really push the ball down the field as well. And I think in his second year now, he’s developed a comfort level with, I think, the complexity of the Sean Payton offense.
Brees was a five-year veteran and two years older than Nix is entering the 2025 campaign when Payton first got him in New Orleans. Still, by Year 4 together, Brees and Payton were Super Bowl champions.
Nguyen wrote it was “easy to see why” Payton “valued” Nix, adding that rival coaches “raved” about his putting the QB in “advantageous positions and work around his limitations.”
Payton’s challenge in Year 2 is helping the Broncos QB take another step in his development.
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