It’s been a long two weeks, but the day has finally arrived! By the end of today we’ll know if the Denver Broncos season is going to continue for another week or if the Buffalo Bills dashed our hopes for the season.
A lot is riding on head coach Sean Payton’s shoulders in the game and playcalling is going to be a big part of whether or not the Broncos win. That and execution of those called plays, of course.
On that topic, Payton was asked a question that led into far deeper insight into Payton’s mindset in games. The question was about sticking with the run game and staying committed to it even if its not working early on. He started to answer it, but then talked about the difference between how he approached calling plays when he was younger compared to now.
“I’ll make a note on the sheet, ‘Run it.’ It’s important,” Payton said. “The thing that I have to continue that changes as you get older is you still have to be quick. Play just ran, next play. I said this. When I was younger, we’d run a reverse on the eight-yard line, and I think nothing of it. As you get older, you think about all the ramifications. So I have to also remove that. It was said as you get older, maybe you don’t drive in the rain at night. You begin to… I can’t let that happen as a play caller. That’s something that I have to mentally make sure it’s quick.”
Anyone in the mid-40s or later in life probably understands better what he is talking about here. You think more about the ramifications of your decisions the more experience you have with the mistakes you’ve made in the past.
For Payton, though, he has to remember to keep the edge that made him great for the past two decades in the NFL. Be decisive and don’t dwell on the ramifications.
“It’s quick and decisive, and it’s daring at the right time,” Payton continued. “Not reckless, but those are things that I find that are challenges compared to when I was 33 in New York or whatever. Part of that is being raised by a father who was in casualty claims and insurance. We had no trampolines, we had no swimming pools, we couldn’t ride motorbikes. We knew where every sharp edge was, and it was like, ‘Ah.’ (Laughs) But anyway, I think that’s the thing that I have to focus on.”
There have been times when people — including myself — have lamented certain play calls or tendencies Payton has. Looking back, I would probably need to attribute half of those failed play calls on poor execution as opposed to predictable or poor play design.
In the playoffs, it comes down to turnovers and big plays. Payton’s job is to scheme some big play opportunities, but the players still have to execute. This game is going to be one hell of a measuring stick for how far this group has come along. I can’t wait!
