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Broncos Fans Blame Sean Payton (Again) for Brutal Loss to Bengals

Denver's fourth-quarter comeback wasn't enough, and the team's playoff dreams are now in doubt.
December 29, 2024
Image: Sean Payton wasn't especially chipper after the Broncos's overtime loss to the Bengals on December 28.
Sean Payton wasn't especially chipper after the Broncos's overtime loss to the Bengals on December 28. Denver Broncos via YouTube
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Oops! They did it again.

After the Denver Broncos guaranteed their first winning campaign since 2016 with a tricky triumph over the Indianapolis Colts, the Men of Orange needed just one conquest in their final three games to clinch a playoff berth. But last week, they blew a big lead against the Los Angeles Chargers in a matchup during which alleged offensive genius Sean Payton was thoroughly outcoached by his opposite number, onetime Broncos hiring target Jim Harbaugh. And then, on December 28, Denver wasted a fourth-quarter comeback and a gift-wrapped, holiday-season second opportunity, losing to the Cincinnati Bengals 30-24 — and once again, fans on social media are heaping the majority of the blame on Payton.

As well they should.

That the Bengals were ravenous should have come as no surprise. At the season's start, quarterback Joe Burrow and company were a trendy pick to cock-block the Kansas City Chiefs' quest for a third consecutive Super Bowl victory. But while Burrow and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase more than lived up to expectations, the Cincy defense proved less impregnable than Michelle Duggar, giving away contest after contest early in the season. Still, coming into the Saturday showdown against Denver, the Bengals had notched three victories in a row and retained a chance to make the post-season — and they had a home-field advantage to make it happen.

Nevertheless, early signs were good for Denver. After the opening kickoff, rookie QB Bo Nix directed his charges deep into Bengals territory before the march petered out. Then, one Wil Lutz field goal later, freshly minted stalwart Nik Bonitto stopped a fourth-down bid by Chase Brown to rob Cincinnati of points — and a subsequent sack of Burrow inside the Denver five found the Broncos repeating the feat in the second quarter. Granted, the Broncos weren't able to make these achievements pay off, generating a combined 23 yards on their next two possessions — and the Bengals were finally able to get into the end zone and take a 7-3 lead into halftime. Yet the deficit hardly seemed insurmountable.

The final two stanzas were back-and-forth affairs, with the two outfits trading scores and miscues: Cincinnati field goal, Broncos touchdown, Cincinnati touchdown, Broncos touchdown, Cincinnati fumble, Broncos interception. Then, with around ninety seconds remaining, Burrow pushed past the goal line to put the Bengals ahead 24-17, necessitating last-minute-and-a-half heroics from Nix — and he delivered by way of an ultra-unlikely 25-yard strike to Marvin Mims with eight ticks remaining.

This left Payton with a decision: kick an extra point to force overtime or go for a two-point conversion. Typically, units on the road opt for the latter course — and Payton's brand is aggression. Yet this time around, he opted for the former, supposedly because a tie would be just as good as a W when it came to punching a Denver playoffs ticket.

Stupid? Yep — but it took a while to reveal just how moronic the move would turn out to be. The Bengals got the ball first, and the Broncos forced a punt. Yet thanks to unimaginative play-calling and worse execution, Denver generated just four yards in three plays and had to kick the ball back to Burrow's boys. Frosty-tipped Joe then took his comrades all the way to the Broncos' fifteen, where Cade York lined up for what seemed like an impossible-to-miss field goal.

When York clanked the ball off the upright instead, redemption for Denver was back on the docket. Yet Payton faltered again, dialing up a predictable run by Audric Estime that netted three yards, an equally foreseeable short pass to Mims that lost two, and an inconsequential chuck to Adam Trautman that hit the turf. Hence, a punt back to the Bengals, who were celebrating a clinching touchdown five plays later.

Granted, Denver isn't dead yet: The Broncos can still get into the playoffs under a number of scenarios, including either a win or tie over the Chiefs, whose number-one seeding suggests that they'll rest most of their key players. But this suspense could have and should have been avoided — and fans on X have no doubt who was at fault, as the twenty  posts below make clear.

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Image: Michael Roberts
Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.
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