Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton found time to pick a media fight yesterday as he went after Geoff Schwartz.
Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton is always up for a media kerfuffle whenever he can create one, especially if he thinks it’s unfair to one of his guys.
That was definitely the case yesterday as Payton wrapped up his media comments yesterday before the Broncos' third preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. He targeted former Oregon and NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz from the FS1 show “First Thing First” when Schwartz offered an obligatory hot take about quarterback Bo Nix.
The phrase Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post used in his report about the back-and-forth had Schwartz saying Nix “looks like the same QB” from college when he was asked if the Broncos quarterback would take a step backward or forward this season.
“With those two (options) presented to me, I’d say step back,” Schwartz said. “But I do think he just is what he is at this point. He looks like the same quarterback he was in college.
“I watched every single one of his snaps at Oregon and he looks like exactly the same guy in Denver. He’s consistent, right? He’s not gonna make mistakes. But he’s not gonna push the ball down the field all that often. We know his air yards were short. His advanced stats put him right in the middle of the NFL.”
Schwartz went on to note that Nix’s mobility is a plus, per Gabriel, and he added that Payton needs to get Nix throwing the ball into the middle of the field more consistently. The offensive lineman also offered a backhanded compliment for the Denver coach, saying he gives “Sean Payton credit.”
“They’ve built the offense around what (Nix) can do and what he can’t do,” Schwartz added. “They do a really good job of maximizing his talent.”
His comments apparently struck a nerve from Payton, who comes from the Parcells/Belichick coaching tree where occasionally bullying media members is part of the basic approach. Payton responded by posting a five-minute clip of the show along with a single sentence:
“Always easy to tell who works at it and who doesn’t.”
Payton isn’t exactly wrong about Schwartz, as much of what he said sounds like recycled material from last season, especially with new offensive coordinator Davis Webb revamping parts of the Denver offense. Whether it will result in Nix taking a step forward remains to be seen, but the Broncos have made big changes, including trading for receiver Jaylen Waddle.
Still, it’s always surprising to see Payton going after media members occasionally. It seems to be part of his personality, but Payton really is better than this, and he should be above this kind of thing.
