Broncos' Payton-Wilson Experiment Receives Curious Grade 12 Games In
The relationship between the head coach and the quarterback is perhaps one of the most important in all of sports. NFL teams need continuity and talent at both spots to be consistently relevant.
The great teams that stand the test of time often have Hall-of-Famers both at head coach and quarterback. Teams can sometimes get by over a single season with just one or the other, but without both, eventually, things will fall apart.
Just how good is the Denver Broncos' combination — head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Russell Wilson? On a recent episode of Yahoo Sports’ Zero Blitz with Jason Fitz, Fitz and guest host Nate Tice took a dive through all 32 teams to grade each quarterback and head coach combination in the league.
Tice: Well Sean Payton was my preseason Coach of the Year pick so I was pretty optimistic at how this would look. What it’s looked like, another team post-bye week, they found their model. Russell, how they're using him is how when I played with him at Wisconsin; the 2011 Wisconsin offense. Heavy, tight ends, fullback, heavy run game, three running backs, churn them over, play action down the field; Russell create a little bit. This is the best he has looked in at least two years. Probably since 2020. This is the most complete Russell looks as far as decision making and throws he’s pushing. Russ right now to me is a B. And I am a big fan of Sean Payton so I’m going to put him as an A-. The first half of the year, you can’t disqualify that. So the Broncos (combined grade of Payton and Wilson) are for me are a B+. I am such an easy grader today. They are going B+ for me because of what they have done on this win streak.
Fitz: I think you're right. I said coming into the year that Sean Payton was going to have to blow the whole thing up because that’s what every coach does and that Russ was cooked, so what do I know? I thought they were going to be an object disaster.
The Payton-Wilson relationship will be analyzed carefully over the Broncos' final five-game stretch of the season. While the Broncos have stormed back from 1-5 to start to be sitting at 6-6 and very much in the Wildcard race entering Week 14, how much of the offense’s success is due to Wilson with how much of the offense’s success belonging to Payton?
With Payton's public comments hinting at frustration from his quarterback following Denver’s 22-17 loss to the Houston Texans, many have assumed that the relationship between the coach and QB is dicey and that Payton might not be happy with Wilson.
However, it could be as simple as frustrations being voiced by an ultra competitor holding his quarterback to the high standards set by his own play in his career as well as the trade and contract when arriving in Denver. The Broncos play substantially worse defenses down the stretch this season in comparison to the opponents faced during their win streak, so there should be opportunities for Wilson and Payton to continue to be happy together while putting up points to close out 2023.
A B+ grade for the combination of Wilson and Payton might be a tad high, as Tice hinted at being an easy grader, but even if the grade was moved down to a low B range, it still would likely be the most apt grade a Broncos head coach quarterback combo would have received since Super Bowl 50. Things are far from perfect, but the Broncos are undoubtedly significantly improved.
Will the Broncos agree that Wilson is playing at a B level by the end of the season? And would that be enough for the Broncos to keep Wilson and essentially exercise a two-year contract, given the $34 million roster guarantee the QB will earn in 2025 that kicks in on the fifth day of the league year this offseason?
Perhaps Denver believes it needs more from Wilson, given his cost, and would rather eat an unprecedented dead cap hit to move on from a single player, and find someone new for Payton to work with. Only time will tell.
Regardless, the dynamic between Wilson and Payton down the stretch will be must-watch television for Broncos Country and the NFL at large.
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