What Broncos Fans Learned About HC Sean Payton in Preseason Game 1
Ah, the gridiron's glimmering, the turf is astir, and the fans are raring to go.
The Denver Broncos took to the field with a new head coach Sean Payton for a preseason face-off against the Arizona Cardinals. It's a game of inches, they say, and in a final-scoring agony, the Broncos fell short by one.
Denver lost 18-17, but don't let that deflate the Mile-High balloon. The game gave the Broncos and their fans a revelation about their new coach.
Setting the tone, you say? That's putting it lightly.
Payton didn't just set the tone; he etched it in stone, bellowed it through the stadium, and showed it on the scoreboard. The man's got a low tolerance for tomfoolery, and the players knew it.
Veterans and rookies alike showed effort, focus, and seriousness that had been long absent from Empower Field. Payton was like a musical conductor, managing the clock with elegance, maintaining situational awareness, and making his baton clear: "Play the game with honor." That's the Payton way.
The Super Bowl-winning coach loves the run game and is not bashful about it. For Payton, the run isn't just a strategy; it's the lifeblood of the offense — the ground floor for success, the wind beneath the deep passes.
But alas, the Broncos' offensive line seemed more like a sieve than a wall, allowing pressure and deflating some of Payton's run-play dreams. Despite a rocky start due to these O-line struggles, there's a silver lining: Russell Wilson should improve from last season in decision-making and getting the ball out of his hands faster.
The connection between Payton's play-calling and Wilson's execution is promising, even in its infancy. The coach's brow furrowed in the post-game presser as he alluded to his displeasure with the offensive line's ineffectiveness.
But, in true Payton fashion, he showed some bull-headed belief in his boys by keeping them on the field, and his faith paid off with a rhythm-finding touchdown from Wilson to Jerry Juedy. There's hope in them thar hills!
Ah, but alas, dear Broncos fans, the scoreboard might read a loss, but in this preseason opener, you've gained something quite precious. Rational thinking, pragmatism, NFL experience, and accountability have returned to Empower Field at Mile High.
It's like having a wise, discerning uncle at the head of the table, carving the turkey with surgical precision. You've got yourself a grown-up steering the ship, and things are looking up. But as for those offensive linemen?
These Broncos may need more than a surgeon at their Monday morning film review session. Perhaps a priest, the Lord's prayer, and a good existential lawyer.
So, here's to the hope of new beginnings, and may the Broncos' offensive line find redemption before the regular season tolls its bell.
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