Sean Payton blames everyone for Broncos' horrible season: 'A lot of people had dirt on their hands'
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton didn't mince words when he explained what went wrong in 2022.
Payton, who became the Broncos head coach after a trade from the New Orleans Saints this offseason, blamed everyone for Denver's disastrous 5-12 season, but mostly focused on former head coach Nathaniel Hackett as well as the "the pomp and circumstance" of the offseason hype.
"It doesn’t happen often where an NFL team or organization gets embarrassed,” Payton told USA Today Sports. “And that happened here. ... It might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL. That’s how bad it was.
“Oh, man. There’s so much dirt around that. There’s 20 dirty hands, for what was allowed, tolerated in the fricking training rooms, the meeting rooms. The offense. I don’t know Hackett. A lot of people had dirt on their hands. It wasn’t just Russell [Wilson]. He didn’t just flip. He still has it. This B.S. that he hit a wall? Shoot, they couldn’t get a play in. They were 29th in the league in pre-snap penalties on both sides of the ball.”
The Broncos' abysmal season got off to a horrific start with Hackett's poor game management and snowballed out of control until the team fired him after 15 games. Denver finished last in points scored and 21st in yards despite a top-14 defense. Wilson, meanwhile, had arguably his worst season in his 11-year career with a personal-low 60.5 completion percentage and only 16 passing touchdowns. Even worse, the Broncos didn't have their No. 5 pick after they traded it to the Seattle Seahawks for Wilson.
“Everything I heard about last season," Payton added, "we’re doing the opposite."
Denver's new owners likely hope Payton's presence will correct the mistakes of 2022 as the team heads into 2023. Payton already brought in offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi from his time with the Saints and added former six-year backup quarterback Davis Webb to his coaching staff. The Broncos also upgraded the offensive line with right tackle Mike McGlinchey and left guard Ben Powers in free agency.
Payton maintained faith in Wilson, too. He shielded his quarterback from blame for how Wilson played in 2022 and shifted it toward, naturally, some of those who are no longer a part of the organization. Though, some are still Payton's bosses.
“That wasn’t his fault,” Payton said. “That was the parents who allowed it. That’s not an incrimination on him, but an incrimination on the head coach, the GM [George Paton], the president [Damani Leech] and everybody else who watched it all happen."
The Broncos and Payton won't have the easiest time rising from the bottom of the AFC West, though. The Kansas City Chiefs still reign supreme and the Los Angeles Chargers appear to be the clear-cut second-best team in the division. The Las Vegas Raiders remain suspect, but that doesn't leave much room for error if the Broncos want to make the playoffs in 2023.
At the very least, Payton brings the experience of 15 years as a head coach to Denver. That has to count for something.
