Something was missing from the Denver Broncos last season.
More specifically, there was something absent from Head Coach Sean Payton’s offense that former quarterback Drew Brees had become accustomed to seeing in their 15 years together with the New Orleans Saints.
After one year away from coaching, Payton looked to bring his trademark system with him to Denver. But he and Russell Wilson never got in sync, with the latter on a fast track off the team.
“It kind of played out the way I thought it would honestly,” Brees said on “Pro Football Talk” on February 8. “Look, I think Russell has a skill set, and I think Russell is still going to be able to go and have a great rest of his career elsewhere. As I watched them play this year, it didn’t feel like the timing, the Rhythm, the tempo that I’m used to seeing in a Sean Payton offense.
“Those are the hallmarks of the offense. That’s the standard that has been set.”
Payton’s Saints offenses ranked outside of the top 10 in yards just twice in his 15 seasons at the helm, both times coming in his final two seasons. They ranked outside of the top 12 in points just once, again in his final season.
Russell Wilson ‘Not a Timing, Rhythm Passer’
GettyRussell Wilson #3 of the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos ranked 19th in points and 26th in yards last season. That was a five-spot drop in yards from the 2022 season but a 13-spot improvement in scoring.
Wilson also posted a career-low 3,070 passing yards. Payton benched him for the last two weeks.
Brees, who operated Payton’s system en route to 12 Pro Bowls, one All-Pro selection, and a Super Bowl victory, offered his thoughts on where the disconnect on the field is between Russell and Payton.
“Russell to me is not a timing, rhythm passer,” Brees said. “Russell is one of the best deep ball throwers in the league and has been for a long time, right? But it’s run game, it’s read-option stuff, it’s the RPO game. And then it’s heavy play-action, let’s let him launch it. To me, that’s that’s kind of the best system for him.”
The Atlanta Falcons are the current betting favorite followed by the Broncos in a tie with the Las Vegas Raiders, per DraftKings.
Drew Brees: Sean Payton is an ‘Excellent Communicator’
GettyHead coach Sean Payton and Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints.
There are football reasons for Payton and Wilson to separate. But NBC Sports’ Peter King asserted there were issues between Payton and Wilson on “The Cook & Joe Show” on January 23.
The NFLPA even ruled that the Broncos wronged Wilson over his contract.
“Look, I don’t know the inner workings, I don’t know what’s happened behind the scenes or anything else,” Brees said. “But I know that, look, they’ve got a talented roster, they’ll continue to build that. They’ve got an ownership group that’s going to provide whatever resources they need for Sean Payton to win.”
Neither Payton, Wilson, or Broncos general manager George Paton have completely ruled out a return, though that is the leading assumption. But Brees believes in his former head coach.
“I know this: Sean is an excellent communicator, and he is an excellent orchestrator of like, ‘Here’s what we need to win, here’s the culture, here’s the standard of excellence. And now it’s plugging the pieces in place to get that done.”
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Drew Brees Weighs In on Russell Wilson’s Fit With Sean Payton, Broncos Future