Sean Payton’s decision to not go for a two-point conversion in the final seconds of the game against the Bengals might’ve been the straw that broke the camel’s back on Saturday.
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With the Broncos trailing with just one point and eight seconds left on the clock, Payton had two options: attempt a two-point conversion and hopefully win the game or to attempt a field goal, even the score, and go into overtime. He went with the latter and lost in overtime.
In retrospect, this choice baffled many but Payton had good reason to forego the two-point attempt. Broncos Insider Zac Stevens gave an insight into what was going through the Broncos HC’s mind for that final play:
“He said the decision to do that was because of two things. The tie did come into play. Sean Payton admitted that. He said that we knew a tie was good for us. Another part was he said, we thought we had the momentum going into overtime.”
However, it turns out, they did not have the momentum. Joe Burrow led the Cincinnati Bengals on their third possession of overtime, and secured their victory with a three-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins.
The decision backfired on Payton, but he attempted to downplay it in the post-game interview, insisting it was the correct choice. Even if they lost. When questioned about whether there was insufficient time for him and his staff to consider the situation properly, he dismissed those concerns.
“We discussed it all. We had plenty of time, plenty of time. And the decision we made was the right one,” he said at the post-game conference.
Whether it was the right call or not can be debated to no end. However, everyone can probably agree that they shouldn’t have found themselves in a position where they had to rely on a last-second throw just to have a shot at overtime in the first place.
