The Denver Broncos’ offense just slammed the brakes, big time. After an incredible 2025 season that had everyone talking Super Bowl for 2026, Bo Nix and the crew have taken a major step back. We saw a slow start in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and that continued into Week 2 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars, even though they managed to pull out a win late. But the real gut-punch? Their game against the Los Angeles Rams, where they delivered the worst offensive half of their young season. You gotta wonder what’s going on, and all eyes are on head coach Sean Payton.
Payton’s Bold Move Is Not Paying Off
It’s no secret that Payton made a massive, even shocking, move in the offseason: he relinquished offensive playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Davis Webb. This is the first time in his entire head coaching career Payton hasn’t called plays! Think about that for a second. The Broncos went 14-3 last year with Payton at the helm of the offense, and now, suddenly, he hands it over. Payton said in February, “I think it’s going to help our team and I’ll do whatever it takes to support him.” He insisted, “It’s not something I would do if I didn’t think it will help our team.” He wanted to keep Webb as his OC and truly believed Webb was capable.
Payton had high praise for Webb’s background, too. Before the season, via ESPN, Payton expanded on his faith, citing Webb’s experience as a former quarterback and coach for the Bills and Giants. He said Webb “has had great lineage,” highlighting his college and high school background with his father as “gifts.” Payton also touted Webb’s “I.Q.” which “has come from a lot of great mentors and people, even in New York and Buffalo, that he worked with professionally.” Webb, at 31, is even considered a future head coach, and Payton is clearly trying to develop him while still gunning for wins. But is it working? The early returns say a definitive “nope.”
The Playcalling Struggles Are Real
It’s only early in the season, but the Broncos’ offense has struggled so much that Davis Webb has already become a popular scapegoat among fans and media. The frustration boiled over in the first half of that Sunday night game against the Rams, when Los Angeles absolutely dwarfed Denver on the stat sheet, outgaining them by over 200 yards at halftime. That’s not just bad, that’s an embarrassment.
Even analysts are losing it. Darius Butler tweeted that “Davis Webb and the Broncos HAVE to incorporate some QB run game into this Offense. Especially on short yardage, money down situations.” And Frank Schwab nailed the pure futility of it all, recalling Payton saying, “This is a big drive for this football game,” only for the Broncos to go “3 and out, quickly.” Schwab’s conclusion? “No chance Davis Webb is calling this offense much longer.”
So, what’s next? The pressure is absolutely mounting on Payton to reclaim those playcalling responsibilities. If this offense continues to flounder like it has, the season could spiral fast, putting those Super Bowl dreams in serious jeopardy. You gotta wonder how long Payton can watch this unravel before he steps back in himself.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
Leave a Reply