Sean Payton isn’t worried that his play sheet was shown on TV
Oct 18, 2023, 3:53 PM | Updated: Oct 20, 2023, 11:43 am
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton had his play sheet exposed to the world on Thursday Night Football against the Chiefs.
The Amazon Prime broadcast showed a shot of Payton, and many of his play calls were there for viewers to see. Pictures and screenshots quickly went viral on social media, with fans speculating other teams would study them to try to get a leg up on the Broncos.
At his press conference on Wednesday, six days after it happened, Payton was asked about the information getting out there.
“I saw it. I don’t worry about it. When everyone sent that to me, this game is so spontaneous and fast, everything’s up on tape,” Payton said.
So far this year, it hasn’t really mattered if another team knew Denver’s plays. The 1-5 Broncos haven’t surprised anyone, particularly the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Payton’s group lost 19-8 and had zero points on the scoreboard until midway through the fourth quarter.
Still, Payton doesn’t think other coaches gained any sort of an advantage. He compared it to fans thinking teams can scout by bringing in an opposing player before a game.
“You know that idea of signing a practice squad player off the other team right before you play them. The only benefit that would be (is) health of the team. You know, in depth information regarding how guys, if they’re healthy,” Payton said.
In a long and winding answer, Payton eventually dismissed any notion this is a big deal. He mentioned the Broncos always change things up.
“It’s hard to take that information and then bring it in the division ‘here are the two-minutes (plays).’ There are a ton of things we change. Each night, we’ve got a new, not audible, but term we use. And so, trying to give a defensive player ‘hey this.’ That guy’s going to look at you like you’re nuts. He’s going to say ‘I’ve got to play,'” Payton said.
And play Denver will continue to do. They host Green Bay on Sunday afternoon, with how many new play calls we shall see.
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