Sean Payton had a great message to Wil Lutz right before winning kick

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton and kicker Wil Lutz have spent a lot of time together.

Lutz kicked for Payton with the Saints from 2016-2020 (he missed 2021 with an injury) and then each of the last three seasons that Payton has been leading the Broncos.

The two have a bit of a playful relationship, something both Lutz and Payton spoke on last week.

“I like to just mess with him,” Payton told reporters with a smile on Friday. 

Well, there was no messing around on Sunday in Houston.

The Broncos and Texans were tied 15-15 with only three seconds left. Denver QB Bo Nix led a drive to get his team into field-goal range — and Lutz needed to kick a 34-yarder to move to the Broncos to 7-2 on the season.

As he went out onto to the field, Sean Payton delivered a great and simple message to a veteran he trusts.

Sean Payton to @wil_lutz5 before his game-winning field goal: "Right through" 😤 @Broncos pic.twitter.com/cxdZ4cIkXV

— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2025

“Hey! Hey! Right through,” Sean Payton told Lutz with intensity, before offering a nice little grin at the end.

Clearly, the head coach wanted to get his kicker’s attention before a massive boot. He got his point across, then lightened up, offering his own boost of confidence.

NFL kickers routinely make 34-yarders with ease, but this one was pressure packed. Lutz had one blocked earlier in the game, even though it wasn’t his fault, and Denver definitely didn’t want to go to overtime.

It’s just another example of Payton pushing the right buttons. The Broncos have won six games in a row, and two of those have been thanks to Lutz’s leg at the buzzer.

And with how many close games this team plays, it probably won’t be the last time this season Lutz is in a high-stress situation. We’ll see if Sean Payton does something like this again, as it clearly worked.

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