Payton Talks Details As Criticism Of Webb Continues

The Denver Broncos have an offense that can’t score points being led by a new play caller, but coach Sean Payton says the focus should be on the specifics and the details of each play, per a report from Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. 

There’s been rampant speculation that Payton would take the reins given the Broncos struggles, and he would certainly be justified if he did. The Broncos are 2-2, and they’re 27th in the league in points and yards , with few throws going for more than ten yards and a near-total absence of big plays. 

Payton acknowledged that what the Broncos are putting out on the field isn’t “championship football,” which was already obvious to anyone who’s been watching. He added that the players need to become “experts in the details,” which certainly isn’t different from anything we’ve seen coming out of Denver for a month now. 

As fro Webb, the coach added that his new offensive coordinator is “very fast” and understands what the team is trying to do, but opponents do, too, and they’ve been using that knowledge to stop the Broncos. 

The biggest culprit has been the running came, which has been close to non-existent for most of the time. A typical Broncos series is a three-and-out that starts with a two- or three-yard run from J.K. Dobbins, who’s covered more ground pacing the sidelines in frustration than he has in actual games. 

The hidden issue is the offensive line, which has a reputation as one of the best in football. That reputation is based on the ability to protect Nix, but holes for running plays have been few and far between.

The solution to this might be the Broncos’ next oppoenent. The Chargers defense has been giving up 26.5 points a game, and there are turnovers there to be had if the Broncos can rediscover their pass rush. They haven’t looked anywhere close to the same team that got within a field goal of the Super Bowl last season, and as Payton himself noted recently, we’re now approaching Week 5. 

None of this should be all that comforting to Webb. The Broncos certainly weren’t expecting instant success out of the gate, but they also weren’t expecting this level of mediocrity. If Webb can’t figure out the details quickly, he’ll likely be relegated to putting together the game plan while Payton calls plays as the Broncos look to get back above the .500 mark.