“Do your job, and everything else will take care of itself.” This hard-nosed philosophy, shared by Broncos coach Sean Payton, shows the high-stakes nature of NFL coaching. The offensive mastermind’s return to the NFL sidelines has been less of a victory lap and more of a high-stakes game of ‘Whac-A-Mole’.

Mark Schlereth, former Broncos great and current analyst, dropped a bombshell on his ‘The Stinkin Truth’ podcast today. He shed light on how quarterbacks – both friend and foe – have been throwing wrenches into Payton’s carefully crafted game plans. This revelation comes as the Broncos finished the 2023-24 regular season with a disappointing 8-9 record.

Schlereth painted a vivid picture of Payton’s sideline dilemma. “You think about how that affects you as a playcaller,” he said. “You go okay, we got the two high safety that I look we’re running belly week, right? And I can pretty much guarantee on second down seven, we’re going to get about four yards on this play.”

But then, chaos ensues. The quarterback audibles to a fade against cover two, and suddenly, Payton’s meticulous planning goes out the window.

Schlereth continued, “Now I’ve got my third down and three list, I’m looking at my third down and three lists, and all of a sudden your quarterback checks to a fade and throws it versus a cover 2 and you’re like you can’t throw the fade versus the cover 2 and it gets batted down incomplete now you’re in third and seven instead of third and three where you expected to be. And now you’re looking at your play sheet going, ‘Shoot, I haven’t even looked at my third and seven plus plays’, you know. And now the clock’s running down, now you got to burn a timeout, right?”

This isn’t just a one-off issue. According to Schlereth, it’s been a recurring nightmare for Payton. “He would check to a play that wasn’t even in the game plan,” Schlereth revealed, echoing Payton’s sideline exasperation. It’s a far cry from Payton’s days with Drew Brees, where quarterback and coach operated in perfect sync.

The situation mirrors Payton’s struggles with his ex-quarterback, Russell Wilson. An AP News article from December 2023 reported that Payton was “wary of Wilson during his interview with the Broncos before they hired him last offseason.” The same article noted that players had seen “an endless string of open players that Wilson wasn’t finding in time.”

Despite having solid numbers under Payton, Wilson left the pocket without pressure too many times, and while he had some strong fourth-quarter comebacks, his performances in the first three quarters left Payton and the Broncos with much to do. With 45 sacks and 10 fumbles, the QB was having a tough time finding the right mix.

It’s like trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle with pieces from different sets. But it seems Payton might finally have a perfect piece.

Bo Nix, the 12th overall pick by the Broncos, is already laying down a marker in the pre-season. He came on for Jarrett Stidham and went 15-of-21 for 125 yards and a touchdown, with zero sacks, helping his side to a 34-30 win over the Colts on August 11. His ability to press the play forward with greater agility gave the offense a good tempo, something they severely lacked last season.

Nix then followed it up with another impressive showing against the Packers, a week later. He completed 8 of 9 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown, putting on a show as the Broncos brushed aside the Packers 27-2. His quickness with release, decision-making and pinpoint accuracy bodes well for Payton’s side. As Payton put it on Bronco’s official site, “You feel his comfort level as he continues to get used to the calls coming in. You kind of feel the poise when he’s playing.”

In his two pre-season games, Nix has led the Broncos on six scoring drives, completed 23 of 33 passes for 205 yards, and two touchdowns with the crucial stat of zero interceptions.

Meanwhile, Schlereth also openly called out Wilson’s performances under Payton saying instead of focusing on what Payton planned, the QB would come up with his own play.

Russell Wilson’s antics called out by Schlereth

The Steelers’ signal-caller’s penchant for last-minute audibles was Payton’s recurring headache. It’s like trying to conduct an orchestra where the lead violinist keeps changing the tune. 

This constant deviation from the script on Wilson’s end put Payton in a tough spot. It’s a stark contrast to what he’s experienced with other quarterbacks. As Schlereth put it, “This goes back to what I talked about earlier heroball so he’d go back and check to a play that wasn’t even in the game plan and he would throw it and you could see like Sean Payton seething on the side,” painting a picture of a quarterback more interested in highlight reels than winning games.

In June, Schlereth called out Wilson’s stats at the Broncos and said there was some “fool’s gold in those numbers.” In the latest episode, he again brought up the issue with those stats. “The Rusties will sit there and say oh he completed 80% of his pass I think he was eight of 10 for 47 yards and you know and so the empty hollow statistics that he compiles that makes people that don’t know jack about football think that he can play is incredible.”

Under Payton, Wilson passed for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 15 starts. Hence, Payton’s decision to bench Wilson for the final two games of the season spoke volumes. As he put it back in December, “We’re desperately trying to win.” This move, more than any stat or accusation, might be the clearest indicator of where things stood in Denver.

Meanwhile, the disconnect between Payton and Russell Wilson highlights a broader issue in the NFL. A PFF Data Study from February 2022 emphasized the importance of explosive plays in offensive success. The study found that a drive’s scoring expectation nearly quadruples from an explosive play.

The study stated: “Without chunk plays, the probability chart below suggests that if a team accumulates first downs a few yards at a time, it will likely fail before reaching the end zone.” Yet, Payton struggled to implement these game-changing plays with Wilson.

Wilson’s performance had been a mixed bag. While he’s shown flashes of his old self, the offense didn’t click as many expected under Payton’s tutelage. An NFL.com article from December 31, 2023, revealed that Payton wasn’t happy with how his offense has been running. The same article noted that they needed some simplifying and struggled to get plays in.

In the end, Payton’s struggles – both with Wilson and opposing ones – highlight the complex dance between coach and player in the NFL. It’s a reminder that even the most brilliant offensive minds can be left scratching their heads when the game plan goes off-script. But Schlereth has a positive outlook. “I think that Sean will coach much better this year with some of the decision-making processes,” he shared.

Only time will tell if Payton can solve this quarterback conundrum and return the Broncos to their winning ways. What do you think?