When the Broncos hired coach Sean Payton to improve the team, there were many big, broad issues that needed to be addressed. As the season approaches, it’s all about the details.
That’s where Payton will put in the extra effort, searching for play ideas that will work against a given opponent. And he’ll search high and low for any ideas that can be used for his specific players against the specific defenders they will be facing.
Payton provided a glimpse of that mindset when asked whether and to what extent quarterback Russell Wilson has say in the offensive game plan and what Payton has learned about Wilson’s strengths.
“I think throughout the course of the spring training camp, we got a pretty good grasp as to [his] strengths, the things that he does well,” Payton told reporters on Monday. “Part of it is, each week tailoring the offense around the opponent we’re playing, but also the strengths of our own players. That’s pretty common week-to-week with each opponent.”
That’s definitely common for Payton. It wasn’t common for the Broncos in 2022. Last year, the Broncos offense had enough trouble walking to ever begin to run the way that Payton will attempt to make it go, based exclusively on: (1) what his players do well; and (2) what he believes will work against the players trying to stop them.
Intentionally or not, Payton didn’t answer whether and to what extent Wilson has say in the offensive game plan. The simple answer is that Wilson doesn’t need to have any direct say in it because Payton constantly knows what Wilson can do, what he likes to do, what he wants to do, and that Payton bakes it into the cake for each week.
Surely, there’s collaboration. Surely, Payton and Wilson will be talking about the plays Payton finds. Surely, Payton wants Wilson to be looking for play ideas of his own. That’s how a coach gets his players (and his quarterback) to take ownership of the offense, to buy into it completely, to embrace spending all necessary time and effort to be prepared to run the plays that will be installed, whenever and wherever Payton finds them.
The process starts on Sunday at home against the Raiders, followed by another home game against the Commanders. The Broncos have a chance to start 2-0 — and in so doing to exorcise any lingering demons from last year’s disastrous debut for Wilson.
