The Sean Payton Odyssey begins. Can he rein in direction-less Broncos?
"Why cover the same ground again?...It goes against my grain to repeat a tale told once, and told so clearly."
-Homer, The Odyssey
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It feels endless, the Denver Broncos languishing in NFL purgatory.
Since 2016, Denver has fielded a roster seemingly too talented to tank, but not deep enough to muster any significant run to the playoffs.
As a result, we've seen no rebuild at Mile High, no pressing of a reset button to signal a new era. Instead, Broncos Country has witnessed a dizzying, revolving door of head coaches and coordinators, producing little but mediocrity for more than a half-decade.
The most recent result? A franchise worst 5-12 record, with more changes at the top.
Off we go again.
This weekend, the Broncos will embark on the Sean Payton odyssey. The 59-year-old NFL coaching veteran takes the reins of a team adrift in rough NFL waters. Payton becomes the Broncos 4th head coach in 7 seasons since Gary Kubiak led Denver to their Super Bowl 50 win. Payton enters with something Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio, and Nathaniel Hackett all lacked: head coaching experience. Payton amassed an 152-89 record coaching the Saints for 15 seasons. He took New Orleans to the playoffs in his first year as head coach.
But the part that caught CEO Greg Penner's eye? Eleven seasons with a record of .500 or better; a track record of consistency that's been missing at Mile High for years.
"The turnaround experience was certainly helpful ... but for us, it was more around the fact that he put a winning football team on the field just about every year for 15 seasons," Penner remarked at Payton's introductory press conference in February. "You don't do that without incredible passion and intensity."
"As I called around and talked to others around the league, it kept coming up. It's the attention to detail. I think one of [his] former players told me a story about the size of the towels in the locker room. Sean didn't think the towels were big enough. That level of attention to detail is what makes for winning organizations. He's going to bring that energy and passion to every part of our building," Penner said.
Payton is a taskmaster. Where Hackett brought love and hugs into training camp, Payton brought an extra period of conditioning drills. Payton's battled the media on player availability, changed the Broncos road travel schedule and runs operations at Dove Valley with little question of who is in charge.
Which, of course, included a reigning-in of Denver's largest and most polarizing star.
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"There is no greater fame for a man than that which he wins with his footwork or the skill of his hands."
-Homer, The Odyssey
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Russell Wilson arrived in Mile High with the mystique of a messiah. Finally! A king had arrived, and Denver was ready for a coronation. Sales of Wilson jerseys topped the NFL's website. Ciara and the kids were the de-facto First Family of the Front Range. A $245 million extension before Mr. Unlimited took a meaningful snap seemed like a no-brainer.
And here we are, 12 months later. The "Let's Ride" posters quietly removed from any gameday fanfare. Memes spread across the internet like wildfire, some from opposing NFL players, mocking Wilson's airplane workouts. The voice of Patrick Star, commenting on a Russell Wilson interception during a Nickelodeon-broadcasted blowout, was the cherry on top of a miserable Christmas.
There's no doubt Payton was brought in to correct Wilson's course. His reportedly frank conversation with Wilson leaked this week, where Payton told Wilson to, with an expletive in there, "stop kissing all the babies."
The message is clear. Tone down Russell, Inc.
"You're not running for public office," Payton reportedly said.
And Wilson's taken the transition to heart. No more of the quarterback's private coaches or trainers clashing with official business. His rhetoric at the podium is significantly toned down. Credit Payton and Wilson, the dynamic is different in 2023.
"Mentally, there's always ups and downs," Wilson said this week (and repeatedly throughout the offseason). "[I'm] enjoying that part of the journey, knowing that I'm going to come out on the other side of it all. And we're gonna do that together, battle together."
A possible revival on the field remains to be seen. Was Wilson's disastrous 2022 performance a result of poor coaching, an incompatible scheme, or something greater? On the surface, Wilson's 3,524 passing yards, combined with just 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions doesn't scream "broken" until you remember how the offense operated: fans counting down the play clock to avoid another delay of game penalties. Wilson's 55 sacks, a league high, all too often drained the offense of confidence and Wilson of energy.
Our favorite line at CBS Sports Colorado lately? "It'll be better," cause it surely can't be worse.
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"A man who has been through bitter experiences and travelled far enjoys even his sufferings after a time."
-Homer, The Odyssey
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Justin Simmons has been through it all. The longest-tenured Denver Bronco is only 29 years-old, doing his job quietly and without reproach since entering Mile High in 2016. Simmons is a Pro Bowler, a three-time All-Pro second team, and led the NFL in interceptions in 2022. He's a critical piece of what's generally been considered a top-tier secondary for years....and a job that's become increasingly thankless.
Simmons is endlessly, admirably optimistic at the beginning of seasons, and never shied away from reporters despite loss after loss in 2022. But he did have a moment of zen in December after falling to 3-10 on the year.
"There's so much turnover," Simmons said, reflecting on the coaching just weeks before Hackett would be fired. "Everyone wants to point the blame on certain people. I was just having a talk with a lot of the guys that have been here, the select few that have been here over the years, and we talk about culture. We have a tight-knit group, but something is not going right, obviously."
A lack of culture and identity has handicapped the Broncos. Simmons has played alongside five different defensive coordinators in his seven years in the NFL. It's nothing short of remarkable that, despite varying schemes under Wade Phillips, Joe Woods, Ed Donatell, Ejiro Evero, and now Vance Joseph, Simmons and his fellow veterans remain unfazed. But the era of the No Fly Zone is long over, and the defense has seen little reward for their troubles.
Defensive tackle DeShawn Williams summed it up best in January, following their loss to Kansas City for a 15th straight time:
"When you think of the Denver Broncos, you think of winning," Williams said. "But since 2015, it ain't been there. I don't want to say laughingstock of the league....but the Broncos don't put no fear in people like how it used to be."
DeShawn didn't have to say it. The entire NFL's thought it for a while.
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"Take courage, my heart: you have been through worse than this. Be strong, saith my heart: I am a soldier; I have seen worse sights than this."
-Homer, The Odyssey
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For Sean Payton to succeed in Denver, he must conjure a culture. One that comes with a consistent direction for this Denver Broncos team. A push for the playoffs in Year 1 would be ideal. But if Payton recognizes he doesn't have the horses to take on the AFC West, (a kingdom where Patrick Mahomes sits comfortably on the throne), there may need to be a frank discussion with the front office.
The leash for General Manager George Paton might be tightening. New owners are in charge, ones that wouldn't hesitate to bring in a GM of their choosing. Paton was hired in Denver as the man who builds successful rosters through the NFL Draft. That talent was immediately negated as Denver dished out three first-round picks and three-second rounders for the acquisitions of Russell Wilson and Sean Payton.
Paton identified a star in his first pick with Denver: cornerback Pat Surtain, selecting him 9th overall in 2021. The Broncos haven't had a top 50 pick since.
Odysseus sailed the Aegean Sea for 10 years before making it home. The Broncos? They're on year 7, hunting desperately for the playoffs... for some semblance of success Surtain vaguely called "the promised land."
The Odyssey begins Sunday against the Raiders. One can only hope Payton gives purpose to the journey.
