The Broncos are now 1-5 after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. After their latest failure, where Russell Wilson threw two interceptions and Coach Sean Payton’s game management was anything but spectacular, many have started to question the team’s motives. With amazing talent like Caleb Williams being available next year, the Broncos have no reason to win anymore. But has Sean Payton planned to tank for Caleb Williams all along?
Sean Payton’s Plan To Grab The New Face Of The NFL
Why Sean Payton Would Tank His First Season
After six games, Payton’s current roster is obviously not working out the way that he hoped it would. When his offensive schemes are excelling, his defense is crumbling. Once his defense steps up, his offense folds. Even though Russell Wilson has improved this season, it has become painfully apparent that he and Payton aren’t on the same page.
Payton never chose Wilson as his starter, that decision was made more than a year ago by the Broncos general manager, George Paton. After a few weeks of watching Wilson and the offense fail to win games, Payton may be biding his time and making decisions that will allow him to choose his future quarterback.
Payton’s Plan
Sean Payton decided to take on the challenge of “fixing” Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos for the 2023 season, a task that has shown to be very difficult. Before he decided to come back, Payton was an NFL analyst, and a very outspoken one. Payton said what was on his mind at all times. He has never been the biggest fan of Roger Goodell and the NFL after the New Orleans Saints Bountygate suspension in 2012, so he talked about changes that need to be made in the NFL quite a bit.
In an interview back in 2022, Payton talked to Colin Cowherd about the changes the NFL will have to make to the draft in the coming years. Payton called Caleb Williams a generational talent, saying that “[Williams] is a player that possibly does that [gets the NFL to switch to a lottery], where at the end of the season, here we are in, call it Week 14, and clubs begin to lose to try to put themselves in [position to get the top pick].”
The NFL is only going into week seven, but does Sean Payton already see the writing on the wall? Payton’s interview with Cowherd gives a very interesting backstory to a team that seems to find new ways to lose every week.
Are There Already Signs Of a Tanked Season?
As the season approaches its midway point, the Broncos are already starting to make moves that could suggest a rebuild or a roster flip. The first moves include parting ways with both of their veteran edge rushers, Randy Gregory and Frank Clark. It seems inevitable that more trades and cuts will be made before the trade deadline, but that isn’t the only sign of a team ready to tank.
Clock management and untimely play calls have been a problem for Russell Wilson and the offense this season. For the most part, the team has a very hard time holding onto timeouts. It seems that Payton can’t get the play in on time, or Wilson can’t understand what he is saying. This communication problem has led to the Broncos wasting 11 first-half timeouts and has been a problem in all six games.
In the most recent game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Payton made a large blunder. He decided to call a timeout on 4th and 12 with 28 seconds left in the first half. This huge mistake led to an easy three points for Patrick Mahomes before the half, putting Denver in a 13-0 hole. After the loss, Payton had this to say about the play, “That’s a boneheaded mistake by me… They were calling one as well. I’m off a down. That was stupid.”
Mistakes like these are a very rare occurrence for a veteran head coach. After his comments about Nathaniel Hackett’s team management, it seems Payton has fallen into the same problems. Whether that is by choice or not is still in question.
Takeaways
Payton is a future hall of famer who has 24 years of experience coaching in the NFL. It seems hard to believe that clock management and poor situational play calling are some of the main factors holding the Broncos back. What seems more likely, is Sean Payton is no longer able to run a football team, or is Payton purposely throwing games to gain the players he wants? In either situation, Denver has to question why their newest addition has not fulfilled his promises or expectations.
Main Photo: [Isaiah J. Downing] – USA Today Sports
