Sean Payton’s major disappointment from the Broncos’ playoff loss

Sean Payton Reflects on Missed Opportunities in AFC Championship Game

Sean Payton is grappling with the reality that he might have derailed the Broncos’ Super Bowl aspirations.

Following a tough 10-7 defeat to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, Payton expressed a desire to revisit a fourth-down decision made during the first half, as snow transformed the field into a challenging winter scene in the second half.

“I can’t quite pinpoint which aspect I regret more, the decision or the execution, but definitely the play call,” Payton commented on the fourth-and-1 from the Patriots’ 14-yard line, while Denver was up 7-0.

Payton’s choice was to attempt a pass play with backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, but the throw was swiftly deflected by New England, resulting in an incomplete pass to running back RJ Harvey and a turnover on downs.

“We used a timeout,” he shared. “It’s likely that the call is what annoys me the most—more than the decision itself.”

At this point, despite the evident challenges, the weather was still relatively clear. However, it was clear that conditions were going to worsen.

“It was early in the contest, and we anticipated a storm. I suppose we just didn’t expect it to escalate so quickly,” Payton acknowledged, indicating that the weather was about to shift significantly in the second half.

The turnover would ultimately mark the last opportunity for the Broncos to score during the game. As the blizzard intensified, Denver’s usually reliable kicker, Will Lutz, missed two field goals, both attributed to the swirling winds and snow.

“There are moments when you wish you could rewind and change things,” Payton admitted. “I try to ignore all the outside noise or else we might not have found ourselves in this predicament.”

In the second half, the Broncos’ offense not only struggled but seemed almost nonexistent.

After that initial drive, they gained a mere 41 yards for the remainder of the game.

The Patriots capitalized on a backward pass from Stidham, swiftly positioning themselves deep in Denver’s territory, leading to a decisive touchdown. They added a field goal at the start of the third quarter, taking the lead.

This was soon followed by a series of punts, another missed field goal, and a game-clinching interception thrown by Stidham, paving the way for New England’s passage to the Super Bowl.

Missing from the Broncos was Bo Nix, a significantly more mobile quarterback than Stidham, who had only just started his first game of the season in Denver.