Sean Payton Debunks Prevailing Fan Theory About Broncos' Offense

Did Sean Payton really hold back plays to hide certain wrinkles of the Broncos' offense from potential playoff opponents?

Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) talks with head coach Sean Payton in the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The last three regular-season games for the Denver Broncos left much to be desired offensively. Bo Nix and the offense struggled mightily in the team's Week 16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and that trend continued against two division opponents that were sans their starting quarterback and multiple key starters to end the season.

It's left Broncos Country with an uneasy feeling. Fans want to be confident in how thrilled they are for the Broncos to have won the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC, but something isn't sitting right.

You want to see your team's quarterback and offense either peaking or at least hitting their stride entering the playoffs. Some fans and many media pundits surmised that Denver's rather lackluster offensive showing in Weeks 16 through 18 was due to some gamesmanship by head coach Sean Payton — that he was holding things back for the playoffs.

On Friday, though, Payton nipped that trope in the bud, challenging himself and the Broncos' offense to step it up for the playoffs.

"I'd like to say that, but, honestly, you guys know me well enough. We're going to have to play better," Payton said. "I'd love to say that we pulled a bunch back, but the tape from last week wasn't really good offensively. It wasn't great at Kansas City either. It was good enough to win that game, but no, we've got to be sharper."

Being the competitor that he is, it wouldn't be a complete surprise if Payton's remarks were yet another component of him gaming the upcoming opponent. It might be giving Payton too much credit, as if he's playing 4D chess, but maybe he wants opponents to believe he wasn't holding anything back down the stretch, and that his offense is mired in a momentum hole.

I don't think so, though. No doubt, Payton called a conservative game plan in the season finale, but that doesn't necessarily mean he was holding anything back. The bitter truth is that the Broncos struggled to execute that conservative game plan, which is a concern for Payton, because every opponent they face in the playoffs is going to be high-caliber.

"As we get to these next few games here, we're going to see good teams that can score, and we're going to see [good] defenses," Payton said. "I said to them, "I don't want to just go out and fill in today. Or just filling time.'"

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Emphasis on Situational Football

Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) gestures on the line of scrimmage during the first quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Payton's practice plan on Friday emphasized situational football. Third down, red zone, and two-minute, on both sides of the ball. The Broncos have struggled in two of these areas of late, and they're absolutely crucial to successfully navigating a playoff run.

"But I'm going to be honest with you. Our third-down numbers bother me. On each side of the ball, we can improve in that area," Payton said. "These games are going to come down to a two-minute."

When the Broncos practice these situations, Payton wants to see some competitive fire, even if the team took an OTA-type approach to Friday's indoor sessions.

"I want those to be competitive, and then I really want to work our red zone, offense and defense," Payton said. "And I feel like I was a little salty last week."

I could go through all the third-down and red-zone numbers of the final three regular-season games, but the bottom line is, they were bad. Payton should be concerned, even if he was holding back some stuff in his play-calling and/or being conservative with his game plan.

The Broncos certainly didn't try to hold anything back against the Jaguars in Week 16, and of their three losses of the season, that was the only one that wasn't even close. A possible signature Nix comeback was quickly arrested by some uncharacteristic turnovers. No Mile High Miracles were to be found vs. Jacksonville.

Downfield Passing

Considering that only two of Nix's passes went 10-plus yards downfield in the season finale vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, once again, we're left to wonder how much of that was game-planning and how much was a young quarterback just keeping his cards close to his vest and playing not to lose.

Payton made it clear on Friday that Nix will be expected to push the ball downfield in the playoffs, but how much and to what degree will hinge greatly on the opponent. Payton assured fans that he and Vance Joseph will be aggressive in how they call these playoff games.

"Do I think he needs to be more aggressive going downfield in the playoffs? A lot of that would be based on who we're playing," Payton said of Nix. "We want to be aggressive, and we obviously want to, and we will, take our shots, but a lot of it, like, tell me the opponent, and then it's like, 'Alright, how's it going to be done? Are they an eyes-in team or are they a man team?' But we'll definitely stretch the ball down the field. We feel like we've got some guys who can go down and get it. We'll be aggressive in how we call these games."

Next Week, We'll Know

Again, the Broncos emphasized a lot of end-of-game scenarios in Friday's practice. Next week, when they reconvene for practice, the Broncos will know exactly who they're playing in the Divisional Round, and when.

The idea is to expose the Broncos to these high-pressure sequences in practice to prepare them for the likelihood of such scenarios playing out in either the Divisional Round or the AFC Championship Game.

The Broncos' experience in such tightly-contested situations this season, and how often they prevailed in one-score games, should encourage all fans that, combined with the practice emphasis, they'll be ready for it in the playoffs.

"It's just creating those scenarios as best we can so that we behave the way we want to in those scenarios," Payton said. "We're not surprised."