DENVER – The Broncos stunk over the season’s final month. They boasted a 7-6 record with their fans peeking their heads above the covers seeing a winning season and the playoffs on the horizon. They dropped three of their final four games, including a heart-in-a-blender loss to an awful Patriots team at home.
Coach Sean Payton pointed out the obvious in his season-ending presser. The offense wasn’t good enough. The Broncos finished 19th in points per game (21.0), 24th in passing yards (191.9), 21st in third down conversion rate (36.8 percent) and 20th in red zone touchdown percentage (50.9).
Payton lost patience with Russell Wilson – he holds the quarterback responsible for the entire offense, not just his personal stats – and benched him. He went to Jarrett. And Stidham did not provide the spark as hoped.
The Wilson situation was percolating for weeks as Payton initially called him out for getting the plays called too slowly. It led to an adjustment to his wristband and the veteran no longer taking a knee in the huddle. As the season progressed, Payton snapped at him during a win over the Chargers and went nuclear on the sideline in the loss to the Lions. There was never a clear explanation for why Payton reached his flash point that day, but people I trust wonder if it centered on Wilson sending a run play to Javonte Williams in the wrong direction – around the left end rather than up the middle – on third-and-1.