The Denver Broncos are well on their way toward another losing season after dropping a Week 6 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, 19-8.
Following the loss on Thursday Night Football, the Sean Payton and Russell Wilson pairing dropped Denver to 1-5. Wilson had his worst statistical game of the season. One former Pro Bowl quarterback blamed Payton for the Broncos’ woes.
ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III took to social media to criticize Payton’s handling of Wilson and the 2023 season.
“The Denver Broncos aren’t playing to win football games. They are playing to win the BLAME GAME,” Griffin wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “That’s what happens when Sean Payton comes in throwing shade at his Super Bowl Winning QB Russell Wilson EVERY CHANCE HE GETS. The locker room will implode because no one in it believes the coach has their best interest at heart.”
The Denver Broncos aren’t playing to win football games. They are playing to win the BLAME GAME. That’s what happens when Sean Payton comes in throwing shade at his Super Bowl Winning QB Russell Wilson EVERY CHANCE HE GETS. The locker room will implode because no one in it…
The Broncos under Payton have failed at backing up their hype. Per Jarrett Bell of USA Today, Payton stated that he would be upset “if [Denver] is not a playoff team.”
Denver isn’t close to competing with a championship-caliber team after 16 straight losses to the Chiefs.
The Chiefs have won 16 straight games against the Broncos.
That’s tied for the 3rd-longest win streak vs a single opponent in NFL history.
Payton Admits ‘Boneheaded Mistake’ That Hurt Broncos Before Halftime
Denver has made countless mistakes during their dismal 1-5 start. Payton admitted to a costly error that helped the Chiefs.
The Broncos’ punt team took the field with 22 seconds left in the first half. However, Payton thought it was third down and called a timeout before the punt.
“Yeah, listen. That’s a boneheaded mistake by me,” Payton told reporters on October 12. “They were calling one as well. I’m off a down. That was stupid.”
Kansas City drove the ball down to Denver’s 42-yard line where Harrison Butker kicked a 60-yard field goal. The Broncos went into the half down 13-0 because of Payton’s error.
Payton explained his thought process, which led to a three-point swing in favor of the Chiefs.
“You knew it was going to be hanging up there a little longer with the punts and the kickoffs. It was kind of blowing in the direction we thought, I don’t know how much. It’s a three-point swing there, but there are so many other things that jump into my mind relative to opportunities missed.”
Denver’s missed opportunities included three turnovers and 197 total yards of offense. Wilson threw for only 95 yards and was sacked four times in the loss.
Shannon Sharpe Gets Honest About Payton’s Offense: ‘Archaic’
Sharpe has been critical of the Broncos during Payton’s first season with the team. The Hall of Fame tight end believes Payton’s once unstoppable offensive scheme is behind the times.
“I think Sean Payton’s offense is a little archaic,” said Sharpe on the October 13 episode of “First Take”. “I think the thing is when he came into the league, became a head coach in New Orleans, I think he was ahead of his time. Now those are things of the past.”
Sharpe also accused Payton of turning Wilson into Drew Brees, his quarterback with the New Orleans Saints.
“The reason he’s trying to turn Russell into Drew Brees is because Russ isn’t athletic anymore. He can’t improv, he can’t get away. You see the way Russ is running, everybody is chasing Russ down now. They never could chase Russ down in the past.”
According to Sharpe, Wilson has never been a pocket passer, and “if he can’t get away he’s a fraction of himself.”
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Former Pro Bowl QB Slams Sean Payton Over Russell Wilson Treatment