Tag: Sean Payton

This might be the year to win the Super Bowl for these three teams

With parity as high as ever in the NFL, a few unlikely clubs could have their best chance to get rings

Coming into the NFL season, predictions were made on who could win the Super Bowl in February, and there’s still a good amount of time to see if those views play out. The majority of those views probably had what one could call the usual contenders: the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens topping the list in the AFC, while the Philadelphia Eagles (defending champs), Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions gathered the majority of votes from the NFC. After that’s determined, the next question centers around teams who can announce themselves as a threat in their own right. The Houston Texans (who went home after the divisional round each of the last two seasons) were a trendy pick, but have been underwhelming to this point. The Green Bay Packers, particularly after they acquired linebacker/defensive end Micah Parsons in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, became the team everyone is supposedly chasing, but many questions remain if they can even win the NFC North (let alone make a championship run). One thing (and perhaps the only item) we have learned is there isn’t a stand out team playing right now. As a result, three squads who weren’t looked at as serious contenders may have as good a chance as ever to emerge as the top dog.

The first of this trio is the Indianapolis Colts. It would be interesting to see if even the biggest Colts fan living within the Indianapolis city limits had this on their bingo card, but this team is tied for the best record in the league at 5-1. Somewhere along the line, it was forgotten how good running back Jonathan Taylor was and is. Taylor is reminding everyone up to this point, as he leads the NFL in rushing yardage (603) and touchdowns (seven). Combine that with the efficient play of quarterback Daniel Jones (yes, that guy who flamed out with the New York Giants), and the offense is on a level that makes them hard to stop. The Colts defense has been good enough to bend, but not completely break, and they have forced nine turnovers in their six games. Complementary football has been a strength for Indy, and Shane Steichen has cooled off talk of being on the hot seat to lose his head coaching job. In other words, the Colts have the ingredients to stay in the fight for a while.

Second on the list is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who is the team tied with Indy for the league’s best record. The Buccaneers could be at least 2-4 if a play or two doesn’t go their way, but they have found a way to make those plays, and the scary thing with this squad is they can become much better as the season moves on. If there is one reason why Tampa Bay sits where they are, it probably starts and ends with QB Baker Mayfield, who would probably be the MVP if the season ended today. Mayfield has been the definition of clutch, as he has been the architect of a few game-winning drives. It’s even more remarkable when considering Mayfield is playing at this level without the team’s top-two receivers (Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr.). There was a little talk about the Bucs being a contender going into the season, but the combination of how good they can be and the league being up for grabs could see them become a favorite before too long.

Finally, the Denver Broncos find themselves on the list of teams who could walk up to a championship this season. With the Broncos coming off of a wild card appearance last year, the prevalent thinking was they could continue to ascend, and perhaps, knock the Chiefs off from the top of the AFC West. The main reason is their defense, led by cornerback Pat Surtain II (the defensive player of the year in 2024) and linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper. Most people would say Denver’s defense is at championship-level, but what could make or break their visions is whether or not quarterback Bo Nix can consistently stay on the same page with coach Sean Payton, and bring the offense close to par with the other side of the ball. Throughout the year, Nix has been hit or miss with the execution of plays. If he can provide more of the good version, the Broncos could be on the cusp of a high on the Rocky Mountains.

There are other teams that could have made this list (the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots among them), but at this time, the Colts, Buccaneers and Broncos seem to have more in their favor to continue the upward trend. Of course, things can escalate quickly in the NFL, and what looks good one week might not the next, and vice versa. Who knows? Those teams who were listed as favorites might ultimately end up there come January. The beautiful thing about sports is games will be played, and everyone will get to find out as it happens. What we know is the gap between contenders and pretenders doesn’t seem to be as wide, and if that continues to be the case, don’t be surprised if this year’s Super Bowl winner is someone not exactly on the radar from the beginning.

Broncos have only themselves to blame for Wilson debacle

Things were destined for failure once Denver decided to trade for the beleaguered QB

In football, it’s no secret everything is centered around who a squad has playing the quarterback position. When this assessment is seen or heard, laughter is what comes to me at times, because this sport is the ultimate team game that needs so many moving parts to come together. At any rate, QB has become arguably the most important position in all of sports, and who’s there could be the difference between a team winning or losing at championship levels. In the summer of 2022, the Denver Broncos felt they had assembled a roster ready to compete for a Super Bowl title, and quarterback was the missing piece to their puzzle. With that in mind, the Broncos decided to go all-in on their search, and Russell Wilson was identified as the man who could lead the franchise back to the promised land.

Knowing my personal feelings are not important for this article, I could go on and on about how much I disagreed with this move. I never thought Wilson was a QB who could put a team on his back and bring titles home. It’s understood he won a championship with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013, but the identity of that particular squad was a strong running game (Marshawn Lynch) and a great defense led by the “Legion of Boom” secondary (Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas among others). When the Seahawks decided to give more responsibility to Wilson, there were moments where the QB played at an elite level, but at the end, Seattle never made it past the NFC divisional playoff round since the 2014 season (the fateful Malcolm Butler interception in SB XLIX). After 2021, it was apparent Wilson’s time in the Pacific Northwest had run short, and the Seahawks brass, namely head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider, were open for business. Now, it was just a matter of who was willing to trade with them and acquire the QB. This is where Denver comes back into the story.

Let’s not forget the Broncos felt they were a quarterback away from truly being championship contenders, and getting Wilson was seen as a significant upgrade from the combined play of Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock. Therefore, Denver decided to do a deal with Seattle, where Wilson would come to the Mile High City in exchange for the 2022 and 2023 first- and second-round picks (and players to include Lock). To show how serious they were in this investment, the Broncos gave Wilson a five-year, $245 million extension (There was a season left on the four-year, $140 million contract signed with the Seahawks in 2019). In the NFL, the trend is to do what’s possible to win right now, even if it means getting rid of future assets. What Denver said was they were good enough to win right now and in the future, and Wilson was the man who would lead them there. As everyone knows by now, those dreams haven’t come close to becoming a reality.

2022 was a nightmarish season for the Broncos, finishing 5-12 in a campaign that saw first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett get fired before the finale. As for Wilson, the argument could be made for the QB taking a step back from the 7-10 record in 2021. Everyone knows the quarterback probably gets too much credit and/or blame, depending on the final tally, but if that’s the standard, there wasn’t much good Wilson brought to Denver. If anything, it was drama, from reports of teammates not getting along with him, to his rumored accommodation of having his own office. Yes, all of the off-field stuff matters to an extent, but on the field, Wilson looked like a player who has seen his best days. In a word, washed was a common term to describe his play, as he threw 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 games. Needless to say, changes were in store for the Broncos, and Sean Payton was brought in to steady the ship at head coach. Things started off ugly this season, with the team beginning 1-5 (which includes giving up 70 points to the Miami Dolphins in Week 3). To their credit, Denver recovered to give themselves a puncher’s chance in the AFC playoff picture, but after a disappointing 26-23 loss at home to the New England Patriots on Christmas Eve, hope was all but lost. Soon after, Payton would come out with the announcement Wilson was being benched for the final two games, saying they needed a spark to win. So the man of choice to replace Wilson is Jarrett Stidham (sounds suspect), and now, the stage is set for an offseason mess.

Thinking logically, it’s probably fair to say Stidham isn’t giving the Broncos a better chance of winning than Wilson. At the same time, all indications say the squad is looking at the contract they gave to Wilson, and are seeing a huge mistake based off the results of the last two seasons. Apparently, Denver wanted the QB to adjust his contract, or risk being benched, which happened after the Broncos’ playoff hopes took that deafening blow from the defeat to the Patriots. In other words, this rocky marriage looks like it’s headed for a messy end, and Denver is about to take a nice-sized cap hit if and when they decide to cut Wilson (unless they can find someone to trade with). Clearly, the return on investment hasn’t been matched on the field, but this whole situation could have been easily avoided if the Broncos didn’t fall victim to the vaunted quarterback chase. For this debacle, Denver should look at themselves in the mirror if they want to place blame, and because of this move, the franchise might have lost a few years in a supposed championship window that could have been a mirage all along.