Sean Payton never should have made any comment about the Jacksonville Jaguars being in a "small market", even if he was paying them a compliment. The Denver Broncos got beat up on their own field by the Jaguars in Week 16, and the Jaguars clearly used whatever they possibly could as fuel for this game.
That included Sean Payton's comment about the team being "small market". What Payton was saying when he made the comment was that the Jaguars were better than a lot of people realize, because they don't get put on national TV all the time.
Jaguars head coach Liam Coen put Payton in his place after the game at his press availability.
Liam Coen claps back at Broncos HC Sean Payton for his "small market" comment
"A small market team like us can come into Mile High and get it done."#JAXvsDEN pic.twitter.com/2V2i8UiKrO
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 22, 2025
Coen and the Jaguars deserve to do all the gloating they want after their win against the Broncos in Week 16. It was a brutal drubbing for the Broncos to take, but a pill they undoubtedly have to swallow.
The Broncos got crushed in this game in all three phases. Even when the defense did get stops against Jacksonville, they ended up getting pinned deep by the Jaguars' punter. When the Broncos got into scoring range, the Jags' defense buckled down. And it went on and on throughout the game.
The Broncos got beat situationally, giving up 8-of-15 third-down attempts defensively. They gave up 4-of-5 red zone attempts defensively. They gave the Jaguars three first downs via penalties. They couldn't force any turnovers. They lost the field position battle in the kicking game. They missed a kick.
I mean, you name it, and the Broncos filled out the "BINGO" card completely. And as much as we'd love to sit here and say it was the Broncos who got in their own way, this was an instance in which they were undoubtedly handed a loss by the Jaguars. So the fact that Coen is gloating about Sean Payton's "small market" comment is just fair game.
The Jaguars have every right to celebrate. The Broncos have no issue turning it up in "Club Dub" after every win, so you have to take it on the chin in a situation like this.
The comments by Coen here are just insult on top of injury for the Broncos, quite literally. The Broncos lost a number of key players in this game, including linebacker Dre Greenlaw, wide receiver Pat Bryant, and tight end Nate Adkins. With a short week before facing off against the Chiefs, the Broncos will need all hands on deck as they try to flush this one as quickly as possible.