Sean Payton is Getting Destroyed by Media for Behavior vs. Lions

Sean Payton has gone from media darling to dictator after his behavior at Ford Field.

Watching the Denver Broncos' performance against the Detroit Lions on Saturday night, it was difficult to resist the here-we-go-again feeling in the pit of one's stomach. If the urge to succumb to that defeatist mindset was difficult for spectators and fans to tamp down, imagine how it must have felt for the Broncos' players at Ford Field. 

Amid the tropes swirling around Sean Payton's third-quarter lambasting of Russell Wilson on the sideline, the Broncos' head coach is under fire for his decision-making in the sequence that seemingly triggered his quarterback-directed ire. 

Trailing 21-0 at the half, the Broncos shocked everyone by coming out and scoring a touchdown on their opening drive of the third quarter. Not only was it the first touchdown drive Denver had scored on its first possession of the third quarter this season, but it was also the first time the team came away with points at all in that situation (after 12 previous games). 

Alas, Jared Goff and the Lions answered with their own touchdown-scoring drive, extending their lead 28-7. Wilson and company battled back, driving the ball deep into Lions territory. 

With a 1st-&-Goal from Detroit's 9-yard line, Wilson threw incomplete to Courtland Sutton. On 2nd-&-Goal, Wilson hit Jaleel McLaughlin over the middle, and it appeared the rookie running back may have broken the plane of the end zone, though the officials ruled him down short on the 1-yard line. 

On 3rd-&-Goal, the give went to Javonte Williams, who also seemed to break the plane. He was ruled down for no gain, however. 

Then came the pivotal 4th-&-Goal, where Wilson handed off to fullback Michael Burton, who did burst through for a touchdown. Alas, the score was called back due to a mystifying offsides penalty on Broncos right guard Quinn Meinerz, which, upon review of the replay, proved to be no foul at all. But penalties aren't reviewable. 

Do you know what is reviewable? Any other play outside of scores and turnovers (those are automatically reviewed) can be challenged by a head coach, provided his team has the challenges to do so. 

Why didn't Payton throw his red challenge flag on either the McLaughlin or Williams non-score? The fiery head coach's reticence to use a challenge on either spot is drawing fire across the NFL media landscape — both locally and nationally. 

After the Meinerz phantom penalty, the Broncos faced a 4th-&-Goal from the 5-yard line. Payton, trailing by 21 points with 46 seconds left in the third quarter, essentially threw in the towel on any chance of storming back by trotting kicker Wil Lutz out for a field-goal attempt. It was good. 

Here's what FS1's Skip Bayless tweeted about Payton's curious decision to keep his red flag tucked away in his pocket. 

"Strange sequence in Detroit," Bayless wrote. "Two straight plays looked like a Bronco broke the plane - no challenge either time by Sean Payton. Then on 4th and goal, right guard lined up with helmet (I guess) slightly across ball - field goal. And Payton winds up chewing out Russell Wilson???"

Strange sequence in Detroit. Two straight plays looked like a Bronco broke the plane - no challenge either time by Sean Payton. Then on 4th and goal, right guard lined up with helmet (I guess) slightly across ball - field goal. And Payton winds up chewing out Russell Wilson???

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) December 17, 2023

Indeed, as the offense jogged off the field, that's when the NFL Network cameras panned to the Broncos sideline, where Payton could be seen dog-cussing Wilson, who stood next to his position coach Davis Webb and took the verbal onslaught unblinkingly. 

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Closer to home, The Denver Post's Mark Kiszla eviscerated Payton after that cringe scene was broadcast across the fruited plain. 

"By his actions, Sean Payton does not give a damn about Russell Wilson. And in the NFL, that’s a tough way to win a championship," Kiszla tweeted. 

By his actions, Sean Payton does not give a damn about Russell Wilson.
And in the NFL, that’s a tough way to win a champoonship.

— Mark Kiszla (@markkiszla) December 17, 2023

For his part, Payton wasn't too interested in explaining his behavior at the post-game podium, telling reporters, "What I talk with Russell about is none of your business," but he did, albeit hamfistedly, claim he wasn't upset with his quarterback, but rather, by "the call" by the officiating crew on Meinerz. 

Payton's terse explanation doesn't hold water, though. Wilson had nothing to do with a bad judgment call by the refs. 

AltitudeTV's Vic Lombardi scratched his head on Payton not challenging either the Williams or McLaughlin non-score. 

"Just saw the replay. You're right. They scored three times there," Lombardi tweeted. 

Just saw the replay. You're right. They scored three times there. https://t.co/S0sUUgF4yR

— Vic Lombardi (@VicLombardi) December 17, 2023

I'll echo something else Lombardi tweeted. Just once, it would be good to see Wilson clap back when he's being yelled at on the sideline, whether by a coach or a teammate. 

I shouldn't expect to see it, nor should you, as Wilson is famous for his stubborn "neutral" philosophy of never getting too high or too low. Having a little fight and pride once in a while, however, would show the world that Wilson is not only human but that he cares — a lot. 

While there's literally a smorgasbord of other media criticisms of Payton's behavior and decision-making at Ford Field to choose from, here's what the erudite Paul Klee of The Denver Gazette wrote in his post-game column. 

It was Payton’s misbehavior on the sideline and mismanagement of his red challenge flags that were the embarrassment. Payton acted a fool on national television, first failing to drop a challenge flag on a pair of would-be touchdowns, then by ripping into Russell Wilson, a grown man in his 12th professional season, as if Russ were 16 years old and broke Mom and Dad’s curfew.

After how hot Payton was both during and after Saturday night's merciless beatdown at the hands of his former pupil Dan Campbell, it'll be interesting to see how he postures his behavior when he holds his conference call with local press on Monday morning. We'll keep you posted. 

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