3 reasons Sean Payton should not coach the Broncos
Was his success on offense due to Drew Brees?
Sean Payton has largely been seen as an offensive mastermind, but was that mainly because of Drew Brees and how good he was? During Payton’s time as the New Orleans Saints head coach, the team consistently fielded some of the best offenses in the NFL.
In fact, in nine of his 15 years as HC of the Saints, the team ranked fifth overall or better in scoring, and six of those years were at least top three. During the 2000-2002 seasons, when Payton was the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants, the team ranked 15th, 21st, and 22nd in points scored.
The rushing offense he crafted in New Orleans was also hit or miss, as they did most of their damage through the air. Could it be that Drew Brees had a bigger impact on the offense than Payton did? It’s certainly plausible.
I think the truth is somewhere in the middle; Brees was a huge reason why the offenses were so good, but Payton also should get a ton of credit for crafting the offense and calling the plays.