Sean Payton’s Broncos couldn’t have dreamt of a better start than the one they had against the Bills on Sunday. Their rookie QB Bo Nix and receiver Troy Franklin had just connected for a 43-yard TD to give Denver a 7-0 lead only over minutes into the game. But what happened from there was simply disgraceful for the Broncos. The Bills scored 31 unanswered points and ended up causing problems not only on the field but also on the sidelines.

At one point during the fourth quarter, when the Broncos were already trailing 28-7, CBS cameras caught Sean Payton and his defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph, in a brief verbal spat. Well, it came on the back of a Buffalo drive that lasted for almost 7 minutes. Yeah, that’s right.

Josh Allen led the Bills to a 14-play, 70-yard drive until he missed a pass to receiver Keon Coleman. During that moment, CBS captured Payton and Joseph having a heated discussion for a couple of seconds before both moved away. Unfortunately, there are no details regarding what they were discussing. But they did look frustrated.

It isn’t like the Broncos had problems in their defense all season long. Instead, they finished their regular season having the third-best scoring defense, giving up just 18 points per game. However, that clash in Buffalo was simply a horror show for Joseph’s resolute defense. They didn’t just concede 31 points. The Broncos were heavily outsmarted on total yards, with the Bills gaining 471 compared to Denver’s 224. After this tough loss (7-31), the Broncos might have to brace themselves for the worse.

As per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Joseph is set to be interviewed by Tom Brady’s Las Vegas Raiders. He is the seventh candidate on their list.

He is expected to interview with the New York Jets on Wednesday and with the Raiders on Thursday or Friday. The Chicago Bears are also interested in him. However, there have been no reports of the team requesting an interview. In that case, what is ahead for the Raiders?

Top Comment by unnee01

I think it’s Johnson should go to the raiders or another team because I think Sean Peyton will hold him...more

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Debate

If the Denver Broncos really lose Vance Joseph to a head coach offer, they could receive a pair of third-round compensatory draft picks from the league and also a third-round pick in 2026 as part of the NFL’s Rooney Rule (the rule honors teams for developing minority coaches). In order to be eligible for these picks, a team must have employed a coach for at least two consecutive seasons. This was Joseph’s second year with the Broncos as a coordinator.

Interesting Fact: Vance Joseph was the Broncos’ HC in 2017-18. They went 11-21. After taking up the role of a defensive coordinator for four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, he returned to Denver.

What other options do the Denver Broncos have?

If Vance Joseph decides to make an exit, the Broncos could also possibly have an in-house replacement for him. Their defensive backs coach Jim Leonhard, could be the one to look at. Leonhard has defensive coordinator and interim head coach experience in college football and in the past, he has been a popular name in the NFL for DC roles. It looks like he could be a great replacement.

“Jim is a great teacher,” Vance Joseph said about Leonhard last summer. “Obviously, he played a long time in this league and it wasn’t because of his speed or his size. He’s a great teacher of the position and that’s important. We have young players who have to get better at fundamentals and technique and having a higher I.Q. as far as the schematics. So he’s a perfect fit for us.

“Coming from college, you’re coaching blank pages from freshmen to sophomores, and guys get better every single year with coaching. So he’s been perfect for us.”

While Vance Joseph’s exit is still a rumor, it is a scary one for the Broncos. Sure, they could replace him. But let us not forget that his defense ranked seventh in the NFL. They also ranked first in the league with 63 sacks and allowed the second-fewest yards per carry at just 3.9.

Do you think Joseph should switch to the Raiders? Let us know in the comments below.