Broncos HC Sean Payton Explains Calling Plays for Russell Wilson amid Critiques

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In their first season working together, Sean Payton and Russell Wilson are still developing their chemistry as head coach and quarterback of the Denver Broncos.

During his weekly press conference on Wednesday, Payton explained he’s in the process of streamlining play calls going into Week 3 to make sure Wilson can get the offense out of the huddle in a timely manner.

“We did it last night when we put the plan together,” Payton said. “So, if a play [is] X Curl, Z Post, Y Shake, let’s call it [something different] and come up with code names that help do that. That was last night.”

Payton’s comments came after he expressed unhappiness about the “slow” communication “where we were late with personnel” changes and getting out of the huddle “took a while” at various points in Sunday’s 35-33 loss to the Washington Commanders.

One thing Payton said earlier this week was they might look into having Wilson wear a wristband so he can relay the play on the field more efficiently.

Wilson has long resisted using a wristband during games throughout his career. Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll didn’t mention Wilson by name, but he told Seattle Sports 710 AM last November there was “resistance” to wearing a wristband in the past before Geno Smith started using one when he took over as the starter in 2022.

Payton said Wednesday they “always have a wrist band” available, and it might have been easier to get a few play calls in against the Commanders if Wilson used it:

“There are certain plays that are going to be longer. I’ll say, ‘Russ, let’s run No. 2,’ or, ‘Let’s flip No. 2,’ on the left hash or right hash. In hindsight last week, there are probably four or five plays that would have been easier had they been wrist banded, but we can still reduce the verbiage.”

The Broncos were firing on all cylinders to start the game against Washington. They had a 21-3 lead after Brandon Johnson’s 16-yard touchdown reception with 9:01 remaining in the second quarter.

Wilson was 5-of-7 with 147 passing yards and two scores at that point. He would go 13-of-25 for 161 yards, one touchdown and one interception the rest of the way.

Denver’s offense looked out of sorts in the red zone on its second possession in the fourth quarter. Wilson took two sacks from inside Washington’s five-yard line and missed a pass into the end zone intended for Adam Trautman that forced them to settle for a field goal that cut the deficit to 35-27.

The Broncos got a Hail Mary from Wilson to Johnson for a touchdown as time expired, but the two-point conversion attempt to tie the game and force overtime was incomplete.

Denver’s offense under Payton is playing better than it did last year under Nathaniel Hackett. The unit ranks 14th in points per game (24.5) and Wilson has five touchdown passes. He didn’t get to five touchdown passes in 2022 until Week 6.

Despite some of the improvements on offense, the Broncos are seeking their first win of the season. They will look to get it on Sunday against the undefeated Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.