Sunday’s win notwithstanding, there have been questions about whether current Broncos coach Sean Payton and former Broncos coach/current Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph are on the same page. There have been random whispers that Joseph could be fired during the season. There are periodic visual interactions that cause some to give those whispers credence.
There were some of those on Sunday. And Payton had some pointed comments after the game about issues on defense.
“Don’t get me started,” Payton said regarding an instance with only 10 men on the field defensively. “That needs to be cleaner. This is the NFL, and it shouldn’t happen. We get caught burning timeouts twice with substitution changes. And we’ve got to get that corrected.”
On Monday, Payton was asked about his relationship with Joseph.
“I’m in a great spot with him,” Payton told reporters. “You have to understand one thing about me. He won’t be the only one. I was frustrated, and you don’t want to use those timeouts. Sometimes, it’s hard to be pleased or not upset. You want to play your perfect game. That was a good win for us, and yet I’m driving home last night heading to get sushi. I don’t like sushi, and I’m finding myself circling around the parking lot [thinking], ‘All right, why can’t I be happy?’ Well, you’re searching for that perfect game. I’m just that way. I’m going to wear my emotions on my sleeve, whether it’s defense or offense.”
For many, the torment is constant. Victory always carries an asterisk. And the thrill of winning a championship is temporary, with attention immediately pivoting to anything/everything that needs to be done to shore up any issues that could keep one Super Bowl win from becoming two.
