Cardinals Dodged Massive Bullet With Sean Payton
The Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos are in two vastly different places after three weeks of football - but not the way many initially would have believed.
It wasn't long ago when both organizations were in search of a head coach following massively disappointing 2022 campaigns, as Nathaniel Hackett and Kliff Kingsbury were kicked to the curb in hope of brighter days ahead.
Sean Payton was arguably the hottest name on the market - and for good reason. His resume as a Super Bowl winner and Coach of the Year doesn't stumble into availability often, and rather than roll the dice on an unproven coach, the track record and leadership qualities looked promising to turn any ship around sooner than anticipated.
Or so we thought.
Three weeks into the 2023 regular season, and the Broncos are very much the dumpster fire everybody thought Arizona would be. Denver has all the talent to make a playoff push and with Payton's arrival, they were fully expected to capitalize on it.
Flashback to the offseason, where Payton interviewed with both Denver and Arizona before ultimately heading to Mile High. Payton spent a lengthy amount of time with Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill at the team facility, though many believe he merely used the interview as leverage for the Broncos gig.
There were some other variables at play including Payton's salary and the massive draft capital the New Orleans Saints were asking in return for a coach who was still technically under contract with them.
Through three games, the Broncos are 0-3 and are a mess from top to bottom. There were already rumblings about the rocky relationship between Payton and Broncos QB Russell Wilson, yet Payton openly lashing out at Hackett (calling it the worst coaching job he's ever seen) before having 70 (SEVENTY! SEVEN. ZERO.) dropped on them courtesy of the Miami Dolphins is - quite hilarious, actually. Numerous Broncos players deemed the loss "unacceptable" while others have already made it clear they're tired of losing.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Cardinals are playing far better than anybody could have anticipated. After holding third quarter leads in their first two games before ultimately stumbling, Arizona upset the Super Bowl-contending Dallas Cowboys after being 12.5-point underdogs. The energy in the desert could best be described as contagious, in a good sense.
Jonathan Gannon was never the popular hire. Memes upon memes have been made about his awkward player interactions and speeches to the team, but the reality is he's currently doing far more with far less than his counterpart in Denver.
Part of Payton's appeal was the winning culture he'd bring to the desert - but Gannon has been the one to maximize his players and lay the foundation of a winning organization for the future. Numerous players and coaches have touched on how drastically things have changed for the better under Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort, who specifically waited to interview Gannon before making a decision on who to hire.
It's unknown what Gannon's future holds. Whether he'll reach the credentials and heights Payton previously achieved in New Orleans remains to be seen, though that's a steep mountain to climb.
A 1-2 record would cause many organizations to take a step back and seriously evaluate what's gone wrong through three weeks of football. Given the state of the Cardinals last winter and the massive changes made, Arizona was heavily expected to lose practically every game and be in contention for the No. 1 pick.
Yet Gannon was insistent upon first arrival in the desert that his guys would battle and wins would be had. For so much about taking the bus, possessing fire in guts and wanting killers, Gannon has delivered. Arizona won't be making a trip to the Super Bowl in 2023, but they're quickly earning respect from a national perspective.
The same can't be said about Payton in Denver, who is seemingly pointing the finger at everyone but himself for the horrid start.
The Broncos are currently experiencing what everybody projected to happen here in Arizona, and through just three weeks of football, it's quite clear the Cardinals dodged a bullet with Payton not roaming the sidelines at State Farm Stadium.
