The Denver Broncos will be going into year three under head coach Sean Payton, and expectations are growing. Payton has installed his system in Denver, gotten many of the players he has wanted to help perfect that system and now, it seems the team is on the verge of something big.
In just two short years, Payton has completely turned around a Broncos franchise that was completely lost when he got there.
This offseason, seven new coaches were hired around the league. That means that 25 head coaches will be returning from last season. From that list of 25, Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus ranked his top 10 and the only name he placed ahead of him is the one you would immediately think of — Andy Reid.
That's right, Payton comes in at No. 2 on that list, ahead of names like Sean McVay, Mike Tomlin, Nick Sirianni, Dan Campbell and both Harbaugh brothers.
"Payton inherited a disaster in Denver in 2023, and his quarterback, Russell Wilson, was clearly unhappy. After a 1-5 start, Payton rallied the team behind a strong defense to win seven of their final 11 games. Wilson was jettisoned, and the Broncos selected their new quarterback, Bo Nix, in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Payton and Nix turned out to be a match made in heaven, giving Broncos fans a vision of Payton renewing the success he cultivated for so long in New Orleans. Denver’s defense was still strong last season, and Nix’s excellent 1.8% turnover-worthy play rate perfectly represented a team that didn’t beat itself. The Broncos lost only two games all season by more than one score, defeats to AFC elites Baltimore and Buffalo. Denver has only added more talent this offseason and should continue to contend with its elite head coach leading the way", wrote Wasserman.
That is an impressive spot for Payton and one that might even surprise Broncos Country. However, it's a spot that no Broncos fan will argue as the team clearly has the right man leading the charge.
The direction of this season could easily be dictated by what happens in those two matchups with the top two coaches on this list, Reid and Payton. If Payton can manage to get the best of Reid, the Broncos could be on the road to a huge season.
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