Sean Payton Teases Plan to Jumpstart the Slumping Jerry Jeudy

Sean Payton's quest to rid the Denver Broncos of their losing mentality is proving to be more difficult than perhaps even he imagined. Five losses out of six bear witness to just that grim reality, and with the Green Bay Packers next up on deck, Payton might be reaching for a football priest to perform a mock exorcism.

In the meantime, Payton has to stop the bleeding, and thankfully, the Broncos' mini-bye has given the team valuable time to take stock and identify where it must make adjustments. In the wake of Russell Wilson's recent struggles, the Broncos' passing game is in desperate need of a lifeline.

The trouble is, the forthcoming opponents will offer little respect towards the Broncos' wide receiver corps, especially after the way the Kansas City Chiefs secondary hung all over them like a cheap suit last Thursday.

Remedying the ongoing issue of stretching defenses presents a multi-faceted problem for Payton. Of course, Jerry Jeudy living up to expectations this season, and stopping his increasingly erratic behavior, would help in that vertical pursuit.

Jeudy's serious dip in production has made it increasingly likely that he will be traded, but should the Broncos ultimately part ways with the former top-15 draft pick, they will have only themselves to blame for failing to develop his skill set.

This Sunday's opponent is also rumored to be keen on acquiring Jeudy's talents to help facilitate a playoff push. With the Packers coming to town, there's no better time for Coach Payton to finally unleash the Broncos' spluttering offense and get Jeudy going.

"As I talked about drive starters with 'Russ'—I don't know that Jerry is one of these, but man, a touch early on can go a long way, or a lack of a touch," Payton said of Jeudy's struggles to get involved. "In all those years when we had a number of really good receivers, there were certain ways where you would say, 'Hey, let's make sure we—'in the opening script. [WR Courtland] Sutton—he's playing well. We have [WR Marvin] Mims. There's that battle. He's dying to break out, and part of it is us and me giving him those opportunities. Those are good problems to have, and we'll work on that."

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If the Packers are interested in Jeudy's services, a break-out game against them would only bolster his value in the event of a trade. If Payton's focus remains on making the most of the 2023 season, a Jeudy break-out could also spark the Broncos moving forward.

Unsurprisingly, Payton has continued to emphasize what his offense is doing well and has strived to prop up Wilson, despite the quarterback's struggles in Week 6. After a strong start to the first quarter of the season, Payton remains confident he'll get Wilson back to form.

"Listen, we'll get him back," Payton said on Wednesday. "I thought there were certain elements to the plan I didn't like. We can correct that. That being said—and I said it after the game. I was pleased with how we ran the ball, and yet, we didn't throw it nearly well enough. That wasn't just on him. It starts with me relative to finding those throws for him—drive starters, for instance, and 1st-and-10 throws that are higher completion percentage throws."

Since Wilson regressed from his early-season improvements, there's been a clamor in many corners to throw the baby out with the bath water, so to speak. Instead, Payton has chosen to maintain a steady hand over the subsequent days.

Payton hasn't made any break-neck decisions just yet. When going off-script, Wilson has shown he can still make things happen, both with his legs and his arm. It would help if Denver's receivers, including Jeudy, did better to work back to the ball when things break down and Wilson breaks the pocket.

"A lot of times, when we talk about these off-schedule plays, it's because the pocket is off schedule a little bit," Payton said. "We don't live in that perfect world. We can practice it in 7-on-7 and routes on air. One of the things I think 'Russ' does a good job with is he will work certain plays, even on air, where he'll flush and get the reactions accordingly. That's something that certainly is a plus."

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