Former Broncos HC Candidate Sounds Off on Sean Payton's Body of Work

The Denver Broncos considered hiring David Shaw a year ago.

The Denver Broncos are one of the most interesting teams in football. The Broncos are winning football games at an insanely high clip, and the NFL at large is taking notice.

The defensive turnaround is perhaps the most surprising aspect for the Broncos this season, but in reality, the area that has been and will continue to be the most interesting aspect is the relationship and cohesion between head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Russell Wilson.

There are still four games to go, and Wilson's fate in Denver is still up in the air, according to some, but it seems that while there may be plays or games where there is frustration between the coach and player, the two seem to be gaining further understanding of each other, working towards a cohesive plan and identity on offense.

Former long-time Stanford head coach David Shaw, who was also a candidate for the job in Denver a year ago, is one person taking notice of the job that both Payton and Wilson are doing. On a recent segment on NFL Network with James Palmer and Steve Wyche, Shaw shared his thoughts on the Broncos and, specifically, what he sees on the field between Payton and Wilson. 

"My belief is that your system has to be flexible. I know Sean Payton very well. There are things he loves to do. But part of that is what can your quarterback do and what is he comfortable doing. So you give him some freedom. That’s a big part early on in the season is finding out where you have that freedom. Russell is finding out himself, ‘Where do I have my freedom and where do I not have my freedom?’

"Sean is very direct. He is very straightforward. ‘Here is what I need from you and here is what you can do’ and you are seeing that now. Russ is not turning the ball over, he’s not taking chances, he’s biding time, he’s throwing the ball down the field, he’s putting the ball in safe areas, he’s scrambling for first downs. He’s gotten in great shape because they told him that’s what they needed from him to come in this year to be in great shape. And you are seeing that."

This is an absolutely great question from @wyche89 to David Shaw trying to get into the mind of a coach. How do you change what you like to do schematically & philosophically to make sure your QB thrives in what they do? Sean Payton is doing that brilliantly with Russell Wilson. pic.twitter.com/hkY6fMskiS

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) December 12, 2023

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It seems like for much of the season, Payton has reined Wilson back far more than what he showed in Denver last season. Wilson is being asked more to manage football games and 'break glass in case of emergency' — the improbable broken play style of backyard football. 

In an attempt to play more on time and on schedule, the dial on the level of freedom is turned up when necessary. Avoiding the negative plays is just as important as hunting for the positives. 

And with the volume of quarterback injuries and the cratered offensive metrics this season, managing games and protecting the ball while leaning into three-phase complementary football seems to be a formula this Broncos team is emphatically emphasizing.

"You are seeing that high efficiency come back again. You are seeing the running game come back again. You’re seeing these two receivers that are dynamic receivers now getting multiple opportunities down the field because you have a healthy Javonte Williams. You can run the ball, you can use the play-action. Russ now doing what Russ does best, throwing it to the end zone, amazing throws with great air. I’m an old receiver and I love to see that ball floating in the air, tight spiral, give it to me and let me do something with it.

"I am just seeing that from Russ. Those Super Bowl teams that he had in Seattle, you are seeing that type of play from him but you are seeing it as an entire team much like Seattle. Great defense, running game, big play receivers, and an efficient quarterback who is making plays with his legs. This is a fun team to watch."

Wilson may not be the same exact quarterback he was during his prime seasons in Seattle. He isn’t running to the same level of athleticism or explosiveness as he had his first four years in the league. 

Wilson also isn’t hitting big plays down the field at the same rate as he did during the second half of his tenure in Seattle. However, he is executing the offense, protecting the football, and improving weekly on taking bad sacks that kill drives and take points off the board.

Even if Wilson isn’t the same quarterback he was during a majority of his time in Seattle, due to personnel changes around him, stylistic and schematic changes across the league at large, or simply Father Time changing how he has to play, what he and Payton are doing together seems to be working for the most part.

As long as the defense continues to improve as they have all season, Denver continues to win the turnover battle, and Wilson manages the games in the way Payton asks of him, this team can play with just about anyone. Payton will get a majority of the credit given the turnaround from the horrific 2022 campaign, but it also takes belief and buy-in from the quarterback to play smart, calculated, and complementary to the extent that this Broncos team is right now.

The Broncos may not reach the heights of some of those Seattle teams that went on great runs during Wilson’s time as a Seahawk, but with smart football folks like Shaw seeing the synergy between Wilson and Payton while the Broncos evolve weekly in all three phases? 

Just keep winning games, and who knows how the last chapter of the 2023 season will be written.

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