Last night, after an offensive offside penalty ruled a touchdown that would have given the Broncos a chance to punch against the Lions, Denver coach Sean Payton threw some verbal haymakers at quarterback Russell Wilson.
Watch the video. Even though we can’t hear what Payton – and Payton – is saying Close essential questions On the subject after the match – it feels like the kind of beating a player takes when he does, or doesn’t do, something he has been told on several previous occasions not to do, or does.
To his credit, Wilson stood there and took it. Maybe he was stunned. Maybe he knew Payton had a point. Maybe, if it happens again, Wilson will return a little of it. Regardless, I can’t remember Payton going after Drew Brees like that throughout his years with the Saints. (Maybe Payton did, but I can’t remember.)
After the game, Wilson was asked if he thought Payton still had confidence in the quarterback, given the moving nature of the show.
“Yes, I mean, of course,” Wilson told reporters. “I think the most important thing is that we’re trying to score the touchdown there. I think we all want to score there. I think that’s our focus, which is that you want a passionate coach. We want players as well, and everything else. And so, we wanted to score the touchdown. I think the most important thing My thing is always trying to focus on the next play and unfortunately, on those few plays, we couldn’t get a touchdown there, so that was the only unfortunate part about that one.
The situation came up earlier, when Wilson was asked about Payton’s message during his rant.
“Yes, I mean, obviously we wanted to score this campaign,” Wilson said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t do that. I think, more than anything, we were frustrated that we didn’t score there, because we would have made it 28-14. Obviously they stopped us at the end, and that was the really disappointing part, because of that play.” [fullback Michael] Burton entered. I think we’re a little disappointed.
Even if the conversation had been sparked by the frustrations of failing to score at that moment, nonverbal evidence tends to suggest that Payton was upset about something more extensive than that. Whether Ross had failed to take over the previous coaching position at that moment or whether Payton felt the team’s playoff chances were evaporating or whether it was just the culmination of Payton’s frustrations as he tried to get the most out of Wilson, this video feels bigger than just one play. And one drive. And one game.
Which brings us back to the fact that Wilson has another event coming up in March $37 million in injury guarantees that have become fully vested. If Payton’s purple-faced point toward his quarterback really speaks to deeper issues about Payton’s long-term faith in the player, then questions about Wilson’s future in Denver could go back to the front burner after the regular season concludes.
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