Mile High Report
Sean Payton told the Panthers to play better if they did not want the score ran up on them.
After the Broncos' 28-14 win over the Panthers on Sunday, Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn was upset with Broncos head coach Sean Payton and accused him and the team of “running up the score”.
Payton did keep his foot on the pedal in the second half of the game when the Broncos were up 28-7 and ran a few trick plays including a fake field goal and a wide receiver pass. Ultimately, the Broncos did not score any more points in the game, mostly due to their own miscues and it ended up being a two-score game at the end game. Despite that, the Panthers were not pleased with Payton and the Broncos not letting up when they had a three-score lead.
After the game, Payton was asked about this exchange and he seemed to blow it off and told reporters that he thought Horn was just yelling at another Broncos player.
“I coached his father. So I was yelling back at him. I don’t know what the exchange was, but his father I enjoyed coaching. I enjoyed him. He was frustrated. I think he was yelling at one of our other players. I like him. I think he’s a good player.”
However, a day later, Payton was asked about it again and he had a stronger response to the Panthers' claims of the Broncos running up the score. He told reporters that he was finishing the game the right away and was not trying to run up the score. He noted how he has lost 28-point leads in the fourth quarter in the past and said the Sutton throw to Burton was simply trying to continue a drive. He finished his answer by simply saying “Play better”.
I wholeheartedly agree with the “Play better” statement by Payton. If you do not like a team scoring points on you, stop them from doing so instead of whining about it at the end of the game. The Broncos had 70 points dropped on them last year by the Dolphins and I do not recall anyone being upset at the Dolphins for continuing to score despite having a large lead. My anger and displeasure were aimed at the team for allowing that to happen, not at the Dolphins for doing it.
Also, it was just a three-score lead. Sure, the Broncos had it in the bag, but it is the NFL, and stranger things have happened. Plus, Bo Nix was dealing and the offense was looking the best it has all year. Don’t take your foot off the gas and continue moving the ball and building up the confidence in your young quarterback.
The term “soft” gets thrown around a lot these days but this is a pretty good example of a team and players being soft.
