5 reasons the Denver Broncos can go from worst to first in 2023
2. The arrival of Sean Payton is massive
Out of any acquisition made by any team in the 2023 NFL offseason, I don't know if any individual move is going to end up being more impactful than Sean Payton to the Denver Broncos. Aaron Rodgers to the Jets is up there, but the impact of Sean Payton is undeniable.
He coached 15 seasons with the New Orleans Saints and only twice did he have offenses rank outside the top 10 in total yards. Only three times did he have offenses rank outside the top-10 in total points scored, and two out of those three times the Saints ranked 11th and 12th.
This is not a head coach who is simply a bigger name than he is anything else at this point. Sean Payton is truly one of the best offensive coaches in the history of the league. Chalk it up to Drew Brees all you want, but it's simply inaccurate to credit all of Payton's success to Drew Brees, even if he and Brees worked great together for so many years.
In Payton's final year with the Saints, Jameis Winston was on pace for 50 touchdown passes through the first six weeks of the season. When Winston suffered a torn ACL, the Saints were forced to completely reshape the offense in the middle of the year to suit Taysom Hill's skill set. After sputtering to a 5-7 record 12 games into the season, the Saints finished 9-8 and with a 4-2 record over the final six games that year.
Payton had three top five defenses in his final five years with the Saints. His teams were top 10 in takeaways in four of his final five seasons there. They were in the top 9 of takeaway/giveaway ratio in each of his final five seasons in New Orleans.
Simply put, Sean Payton-coached teams are better than most. It's been proven over time and at this point, in different "eras" of NFL football. It's absolutely psychotic that there were actually people out there who didn't want Payton as the Denver Broncos head coach because he's "only" won one Super Bowl as a head coach in the NFL.
Imagine not wanting a coach with a .631 winning percentage, one of the best in league history.
Payton is a living legend and the Denver Broncos could go from worst to first simply due to his presence.