Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton denied running up the score in Sunday’s matchup with the Carolina Panthers. Payton took the opportunity to also shade the Panthers in his interview with a local radio station.
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“Listen, I said it last night. We’re trying to finish the game the right way,” Payton said. “We’re not trying to run up the score on anyone. It’s the National Football League. I’ve been in games with a 28-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost, so, we’re trying to finish. The Burton throw from Sutton is trying to continue a drive. Play better.”
Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn confronted Payton after the game to tell the head coach he didn’t appreciate the Broncos running up the score.
DENVER, COLORADO – OCTOBER 13: Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos stands on the sidelines during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High on October 13, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. Sean Payton denies running up the score against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Brooke Sutton/Getty Images
Denver ran a fake field goal and a trick play on 4th-and-2 while leading 28-7 in the fourth quarter.
“I coached his father and so I was yelling back at him,” Payton said of the postgame interaction with Horn. “I don’t know what the exchange was but his father I enjoyed coaching. He was frustrated, I think he was yelling at one of our other players. I like him. I think he’s a good player.”
Payton shared he is hoping to instill a winning mindset into his players, which means trying to win every game with the same energy for all four quarters.
“I want ’em to take on a winning personality. I want ’em to take on a personality that understands what wins in our league. And look, I say this all the time: Confidence is born only from demonstrated ability. Now, do I feel like we’re a more confident team today in October than we were when we started the season? Absolutely. And in that, there are certain things, though, that we have to improve on.”
Payton doubled down on his comments by saying the Broncos were only trying to extend the drive and nothing more.
“That has nothing to do with the earlier question relative to were we trying to score? That has nothing to do with that. There’s no story there. We’re trying to win a football game. We’re trying to extend the drive. I’m throwing the ball to my fullback, Burton, all right? So, not necessarily expecting a touchdown. We’re trying to close a game out. And, you know, it wasn’t 50, 60 or 70 [points]. I didn’t look at that at all. I just looked at that as us trying to win a football game and learn to close out a game.”
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