Russell Wilson and the Broncos suffered a tough loss on the road against the Detroit Lions on Saturday. Their playoff dreams seem to be hanging by a thread with a 7-7 record, and head coach Sean Payton felt quite unhappy with how the team performed. He was even seen screaming at his QB Wilson on the sidelines after the play call didn’t go their way.
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The Broncos were in dire need of a win to further their playoff chance, but the night didn’t go their way. They were subject to a questionable offside call, which has already sparked chatter all around the football community. Denver trailed 28-7 before the end of the 3rd quarter when their TD was nullified after a controversial offside call. The call made Sean lose his temper, and he laid into Russ on the sidelines.
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The Broncos HC chastised his QB in front of everyone for something that didn’t appear to be his fault. Fans didn’t like how Payton chewed out Wilson and broke the cardinal rule of never berating your shot caller in public. Fans criticized the Super Bowl-winning coach and said,
Fan criticism pic.twitter.com/uE5tIoN77L
— ayushjuneja (@Liverpudlian61) December 17, 2023
One fan said, “Worst Coach ever! Blowing up on his QB on live television.”
Another fan chimed in, “No way I’m the only one here that thinks Payton seems like the most unlikeable guy.”
A fan pointed out, “I usually don’t comment on teams that aren’t mine but last time I checked, there were 2 goal-line plays that should have been challenged, and the coach didn’t. He needs to question his own performance.”
One user commented, “Man, he’s really letting Russ have it. Since Russ let up 42 points, you know? “
This fan stated, “Russ needs to stand up for himself and put Payton in his place.”
Lastly, this fan remarked, “Sean Payton is the problem here. Can’t keep it together. Not a leader.”
Even after the game, Payton made a few headlines when asked about his sideline outbreak. Could this be the end of the Payton-Wilson duo?
Sean Payton Snapped at a Reporter For Asking About Wilson Incident
When asked about his sideline outrage in the post-match press conference, Payton tried to justify the incident by saying he wasn’t shouting at Russ but was just angry about the call and lost his cool. One of the reporters had asked the Broncos about what he said to Russell Wilson. To which Payton replied,
“Listen, what I talk with Russell about is none of your business.”
This wasn’t the first time he lost his cool after a tough loss this season. After the embarrassing 70-20 loss against the Dolphins, he lost his cool when a reporter riled him up by asking the same question again and again. Even though he put up some decent numbers and scored a TD, Russ had an average game. He fumbled the ball once and failed to convert drives into TDs during crucial moments.
Sean Payton has managed to turn it around after the disastrous start to the season. No one expected the Broncos to be in the hunt for the playoffs this late. He was brought in to fix the team and Wilson, and for the most part, he has managed to do exactly that.
This loss against the Lions leaves the Broncos with a 7-7 record. They are now left with just a 28% chance of making the playoffs, as per the New York Times. But their next 3 matches are against already eliminated teams, so three back-to-back wins might just be enough for them to make the postseason. They take on the Patriots in Week 16.
