Sean Payton Admits to Making 'Boneheaded Mistake' in Chiefs Loss

Sean Payton is under fire for leading the Broncos to a woeful 1-5 start.

Down 10-0 with 28 seconds left in the second quarter of the Denver Broncos' 19-8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, quarterback Russell Wilson was sacked on 3rd-&-5 for a seven-yard loss. With the ball on his own 37-yard line on fourth down, Broncos head coach Sean Payton inexplicably called timeout with 22 ticks left in the half, saving the Chiefs the trouble of burning one of their own. 

After the game, Payton admitted that he thought it was third down, not fourth. 

“Yeah, listen. That’s a boneheaded mistake by me," Payton said. "They were calling one as well. I’m off a down. That was stupid.”

Yes, the Chiefs would likely have called a timeout anyway, stopping the clock. But instead, Kansas City didn't have to burn a timeout.

With a new lease on getting points to end the half, the Chiefs fielded the punt, and with a little help from an untimely penalty on Broncos rookie Riley Moss, Patrick Mahomes got the ball on his own 39-yard line. 

Two plays and two timeouts later, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker nailed a 60-yard field goal as time expired, extending his team's lead to 13-0 entering the half. 

Against an elite team, the margin for error is razor-thin. The guy in charge of ensuring the Broncos toe that line isn't supposed to be the one violating it in critical game situations. 

Payton was supposed to be better than that. Instead, he shocked Broncos fans by performing in a manner befitting his predecessor Nathaniel Hackett — you know, the guy he castigated this past summer for "one of the worst coaching jobs in NFL history." 

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Calling Payton's lapse disappointing is an understatement. It paved the way for an additional three points, which, in a tight, low-scoring affair like Thursday night's game, can spell the difference between winning and losing. Fans expect more from a head coach of Payton's experience. 

As has been the case for the past eight years, in the wake of a Chiefs matchup, the Broncos are forced to find the silver linings and the moral victories instead of celebrating a win. 

“We played an imperfect game, but I thought we had great effort and energy tonight on a short week," Payton said. "A tough loss. I thought we played hard. That’s not always good enough if you turn the ball over. But it gives you a chance to win, and I was encouraged with how we were ready to play physically and mentally.”

The much-maligned Broncos defense definitely came ready to play at Arrowhead. The offense missed the memo. Payton's offense. 

There were a couple of exceptions, like running back tandem Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin. But the receivers ran lackluster routes, the quarterback turned in one of his worst performances as a Bronco, and the offensive line was a turnstile. 

With a mini-bye week ahead (10 days between games), all eyes are on Broncos HQ. If Payton is going to make any midstream changes, whether to the coaching staff or starting lineup, the next week and a half will be the only opportunity to do so in a timely manner that still gives the Broncos a slim chance of turning the 2023 ship around. 

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