Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton felt like we all did watching the game against the Las Vegas Raiders back in Week 10.
It was a slog.
Luckily, the Broncos emerged with an ugly 10-7 victory and have a shot at offensive revenge this weekend in the desert.
Payton met with the media on Friday and was asked about if it’s different playing an opponent a second time. He immediately reflected on that Thursday night game where Denver managed only one touchdown and one field goal.
“I felt like, man, offensively our plan the last time was awful,” Payton said. “They’ve done a good job at times defensively. They put us in a pickle last time.”
That pickle included QB Bo Nix throwing for only 150 yards, one score and one interception. Running back J.K. Dobbins had 77 yards on the ground, but also got hurt, potentially ending his season.
The Broncos defense was outstanding and did enough to lead them to a win. As Sean Payton answered the question further, you can tell he expects the Raiders to mix it up this time around.
“I think the difference is, with Pete (Carroll) as a new head coach, and then you had a new offense and then they’ve made a change, so there will be some things they want to do differently. I’m sure they’ll want to run the ball more,” Payton said.
Las Vegas fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly late last month, just a couple of weeks after they played the Broncos the first time.
In that game, running back Ashton Jeanty went for 60 yards on the ground, but it took him 19 carries. It sounds like Sean Payton is planning for more Jeanty on Sunday in Vegas.
Sometimes, it’s good to admit when things were “awful.” The Broncos hope the stronger version of their offense shows up in 48 hours.
