Sean Payton is the Broncos biggest problem

The Sean Payton offense. That’s what we were all promised. That’s what this offseason was all about.

It’s why the Broncos ran off Russell Wilson, absorbing an NFL-record $85 million in dead cap in the process. It’s why Denver took Bo Nix with the 12th-overall pick in the draft, bucking history to select the sixth quarterback off the board.

With those two moves, Payton could finally run his offense. No longer hamstrung by Wilson, he’d be able to do his thing. With his handpicked QB at the helm, it’d be shades of New Orleans in 2007, when the Saints were in their heyday.

That’s what we were promised. That’s what we were told.

But it isn’t happening. And it hasn’t been close.

The Broncos are now 0-2, following a 13-6 loss to the Steelers on Sunday. But the record is the least of Denver’s concerns.

Instead, it’s all about the team’s offense. More specifically, it’s about how bad the Broncos are on that side of the ball.

Last week, the anemia could be blamed on the road environment. Winning at Lumen Field, in front of the Seattle faithful, is a tall order.

But there’s no excuse for what happened on Sunday. The Broncos home opener was a mess.

Sure, the Steelers are a good defense. But this was ridiculous.

On the day, the Broncos scored just six points. They were within a whisker of being shut out. But that’s only the beginning of the bad news.

At halftime, Denver had posted a grand total of three first downs. By the end of the game, they had only 13. That coupled with just 295 total yards, including only 64 on the ground, shows just how bad the Broncos were against the Steelers.

And the numbers tell only part of the story. The eye test is even more revealing. And on that front, the Broncos are awful.

Denver’s offense is dreadful to watch. It’s paint-drying process to observe. Outside of a trick play on Sunday, they provide the hometown faithful will virtually nothing to cheer about, putting forth a lethal combination of bad and boring.

On one hand, that’s understandable. The Broncos have a rookie quarterback. There are going to be growing pains. But it doesn’t have to be this painful.

And it’s on the head coach. He’s the one to blame for the product on the field.

Payton decided to go this route. He moved on from Wilson, taking on the dead cap in the process. He selected Nix, telling everyone how smart he was along the way.

That’s fine. It’s the head coach’s prerogative to make those moves. But it’s also his mess if it doesn’t work out.

And at this point, that seems to be the case. It’s ugly in Denver. And it’s not a two-game sample size.

The Broncos offense was bad with Wilson at the helm. It was awful with Jarrett Stidham getting the start. And it’s anemic with Nix at the helm.

That’s a 19-game sample size. With three different quarterbacks. It begs for a common denominator. And that’s readily apparent.

It’s Payton.

Since arriving in Denver, the head coach has talked a good game. But he’s yet to back it up.

He talked about being “anonymous donors.” Then, he had too many lattes and spoke out of turn.

He said the Broncos were a playoff team a year ago. Then, he watched his team squander an opportunity on Christmas Eve.

He blamed everything on Russ, sending the QB packing this offseason. Then, he’s watched his offense be even worse with his quarterback at the helm, the player he desperately wanted with the No. 12 overall pick.

All of which begs one important question: Is Sean Payton the right guy for the job?

The easy answer is yes, as he’s a Super Bowl-winnning head coach. He has a resume that is dazzling.

But those accomplishments were decades ago. They were in a different era.

During his tenure in Denver, Payton has yet to prove that he’s a competent coach. He’s made many blunders, from ill-fated timeouts in Kansas City to misreading his playsheet.

Nonetheless, most people gave him a pass. They bought into this track record. And they were more than happy to blame Wilson for the Broncos woes.

But that all looks misguided at this point. It’s woefully off the mark.

Was Wilson great in Denver? Of course not. Was he the team’s biggest problem? Not by 5,280 feet.

At this point, that appears to be Payton. The head coach is now the thread that runs through all that ails the Broncos.

On a team devoid of stars, the head coach is the biggest name in town. His is the moniker on the marquee. He’s the one being paid $18 million per year to be the answer man.

Who’s the problem? It’s Sean Payton. And Sunday was evidence of that fact.

Follow @jamesmerilatt