Sean Payton: Bill Belichick Will Try to 'Loot' Broncos

What happens when two Bill Parcells acolytes square off as opponents on a Christmas Eve primetime stage?

Christmas Eve could be the last time Denver Broncos fans will see Bill Belichick patrolling the opposition's sideline as New England Patriots head coach. This season's dismal incarnation of the Patriots has created questions about Belichick's job security and future, but it shouldn't take the shine off of the legendary coach's resume and the quality of teams he's led into Denver to do battle over the past two-plus decades.

While the 2023 Patriots are obviously less impressive than his stalwart championship teams of yore, Belichick is at his most dangerous when cornered and overlooked. Always detail-driven, he's been licking his chops on the Broncos' lackluster game tape from Detroit.

The Detroit Lions exposed more than enough flesh for Belichick to sink his teeth into, and he undoubtedly has already pinpointed the areas to attack. Broncos head coach Sean Payton knows that Belichick will try to exploit what Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn exposed.

"We kind of saw it a little bit in Aaron Glenn," Payton said on Monday. "Those guys in Detroit did a good job. There were a number of snaps where they were going to double [WR] Courtland [Sutton]... I can recall one game in New England with [Saints TE] Jimmy Graham, where [former Patriots CB Aqib] Talib went wherever Jimmy went and really did a good job shutting him down. It really forced us to find other receivers. It's one of the things that Bill historically has done very well. He's going to try to loot your strengths, and I think that's what good defensive coach coaching is—trying to force you to do things maybe you don't do as well."

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Headaches on the offensive side of the ball are just the tip of the iceberg for Payton in terms of righting the Broncos' ship. He freely admitted to how his defense's poor gap integrity cost the Broncos vs. Detroit's impressive run game. 

It's a safe bet that Belichick will look to pound the rock along the same lines, stop Denver's ground game, and take away Sutton — and he will keep doing so until the Broncos can prove they can stop or counter him.

"Well, ultimately, it's the gap integrity," Payton said. "You have certain gaps, especially when you're playing a down-safety defense. They did a good job of creating space, if you will, and then your gaps get challenged. That would be the first thing."

There's much to fix this week for Payton, but as Belichick continues fumbling to replace Tom Brady, Bailey Zappe's huge limitations as New England's starting quarterback portends well for a Broncos defense looking to bounce back. However, those same limitations will likely dictate Belichick's objective of exploiting Vance Joseph's worst-ranked rushing defense. 

Denver's poor gap integrity will only make Belichick more determined to move the ball on the ground. With three must-win games left to decide the Broncos' playoff destiny — running headlong into a potential 'trap game' is something Payton seems guarded against.

The fact that it's the legendary Belichick he's pitting his coaching wits against, whom Payton has studied and, at times, copied over the years, means he'll have to prepare the Broncos to bring no shortage of guts and resilience to Empower Field at Mile High. It's also worth noting that both Belichick and Payton spring off of the Bill Parcells coaching tree, although it can be argued both disciples have out-shined their Hall-of-Fame mentor — especially Belichick. 

"We all watched the games yesterday (on Sunday), and you get caught up in the numbers and the percentages," Payton said. "You can only focus on the things you can control, and it's obviously getting ready to play New England, and that's it. Focus on getting this next win because that's really all that matters. It's going to take three wins, but it starts with this week."

Some might call this a trap game for Denver. But being cut from the same Parcellian cloth, you can believe that Payton will not underestimate his coaching opponent, as perhaps he did last week with Dan Campbell and the Lions. 

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