‘A lot of people around the league seem to think’ – The Denver Broncos may be on the verge of making a big move
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is trying to be patient, but he may not be able to wait much longer to make a big move that needs to be made.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said after last weekend’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers that it’s too early to talk about the possibility of him taking play-calling duties back from offensive coordinator Davis Webb.
The Broncos’ offense has had an uneven start in Webb’s first season calling plays.
“It’s too early to (consider a change in playcalling),” said Payton after Denver’s 24-14 loss to the 49ers. “It’s a fair question. I appreciate it. Man, it’s tough to discuss any of that right now.”
Despite Payton’s comments, there’s apparently a growing feeling around the league that he’s going to take play-calling duties back sooner rather than later.
“A lot of people around the league seem to think Broncos coach Sean Payton won’t wait too much longer to take play-calling back from Davis Webb, though I have to believe it won’t be an impulse decision if it happens,” noted ESPN’s Dan Graziano this week.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler thinks Webb will get a little more time, though he acknowledged that Denver needs to see some positive results rather quickly.
“In Denver, complicating matters is that its head coach happens to be one of the best play-callers of his generation — that, and Bo Nix is not playing well,” wrote Fowler. “My sense is Webb will have more time, but at some point the product needs to match the expectations.”
This is a tough spot for Payton. On one hand, I totally understand his desire to give up play-calling as he enters the later stages of his coaching career (he turns 63 in December). And it’s clear that he views Webb as a future star in the business.
But there was always going to be an adjustment period for Webb. He may be a talented coordinator, but you don’t become an elite play-caller overnight. Just like with players, there’s a development phase for coaches, too.
Payton and the Broncos, however, aren’t really in a spot where they can wait on Webb to develop. Denver is in win-now mode, and they have one of the best play-callers of all time in Payton on the sidelines. If the offense doesn’t get rolling soon, Payton will have no choice but to take over play-calling duties.
