On a blistering cold Christmas Eve in 2023, the Broncos attempted to keep their playoff hopes alive against the New England Patriots when Sean Payton got carried away. Denver’s head coach was ultra-aggressive during the final stages of the game, burning timeouts and giving the Patriots the chance to march down the field to convert a game-winning field goal.
A year later in Los Angeles, the Broncos once again faced a high-stakes situation. And once again, Payton went too far.
Sure, you can blame the seven penalties or Denver’s inability to cover the middle of the field for its 34-27 loss to the Chargers.