Sean Payton already has plans that differ from Nathaniel Hackett
Feb 14, 2023, 3:08 PM | Updated: Feb 15, 2023, 6:25 am
There were plenty of things about the Nathaniel Hackett era in Denver that didn’t work out. The coach getting fired after just 15 games, with the Broncos sitting at 4-11 after getting embarrassed on Christmas Day in 51-14 drubbing at the Rams, is evidence of that fact. But a few blunders stand out.
Perhaps atop that list is the fact that the coach didn’t play almost all of his starters during the preseason. Not a quarter. Not a series. Not a play.
He had his reasoning and defended the decision in the face of criticism. Ultimately, Hackett proved to be wrong.
The Broncos weren’t ready to play early in the season. And by December, the injuries had started to stack up.
This year, things will be different. New head coach Sean Payton has a different philosophy about exhibition games.
“I don’t believe in sitting all of our players during three preseason games; we’re going to play them,” the coach said last week from the Super Bowl during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
He doesn’t buy the notion that it prevents injuries.
“This whole idea that they’re going to be healthier? We haven’t seen the data that tells us that,” Payton added.
“So we’re going to play in preseason games.”
Well, that’ll certainly be a change of pace. Here’s hoping it leads to improved results.
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