Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton inadvertently provided bulletin board material for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who used it to fuel them to a victory in Week 16 that they proudly touted in the aftermath.
However, Payton asserts that the Jaguars got it all wrong.
At the same time, Payton offered a clear take on Jaguars head coach Liam Coen. It was Coen who disseminated the Broncos coach’s comments to his team.
Sean Payton Gets Honest About Liam Coen After Jaguars Beat Broncos
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton leaves the field after losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
While the Jaguars took umbrage with Payton’s remarks, specifically with him calling them a “small-market” team–which is factually correct–the Broncos head coach tried to clear the air.
He praised Coen, though, for finding material to motivate his team.
“My press conference, it was very complimentary. And those guys are playing outstanding football. And so, that topic came up strictly because – not enough of the country has seen how good these guys are playing,” Payton told reporters on December 22.
“That’s a good job by Liam. He’s looking for a rallying cry. But, obviously, if you were listening to the press conference, the intentions were strictly – ‘Hey, quietly, these guys are sitting here right near the top of the AFC, they’re ready to win their division.’ And look, I spent 16 years in a small market. So, it was just a way for a coach to take it and use it to his advantage.”
Payton coached the New Orleans Saints, a market BetMGM ranked below the Jaguars’ in August 2024, from 2006 through 2021.
Nevertheless, Coen saw an opportunity and used it to Payton and the Broncos’ disadvantage.
“Great team effort,” Coen told reporters as he opened his postgame media availability on December 21. “Just thankful that you know a small-market team like us can come into a place like Mile High and get it done.”
Coen was not alone. Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange and even the social media team referenced Payton’s “smaller market” comments.
Except the comments were not as they had been portrayed, just as Payton insisted.
Sean Payton Praised Liam Coen, Jaguars
GettyJacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen looks on against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Payton cited Coen’s coaching background. He noted the Jaguars’ leading voice spent time under Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay. Payton also said Jacksonville runs “a ton of good schemes” and their propensity for taking the ball away, saying, “We’ve got to be on point.”
“They’re doing a lot of things really well,” Payton said on December 17. “As you look at them and you watch the tape, it’s a smaller market, but you see a real good team.”
Unfortunately for Payton, his Broncos did not receive the message as clearly as the Jaguars.
“This is a confident team,” Payton said during his day-after press conference, noting they were not placing any blame on the officiating. “There wasn’t a guy in the locker room that felt like we didn’t get beat.”
The Broncos will try to bounce back in Week 17. They will face the Kansas City Chiefs on “Thursday Night Football.” The Broncos could see the Jaguars again in the postseason.
If so, Payton needs the Broncos to be much sharper than they were on Sunday.
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