In a recent interview, first-year Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton took aim at a potential AFC contender this year. Payton is skeptical of how the New York Jets handled themselves after the Aaron Rodgers trade.
Payton took over the Broncos head coaching gig a season after Denver traded for their own big-name quality, Russell Wilson. Payton has been critical of how his predecessor, Nathaniel Hackett, handled Wilson’s first first season in Denver.
Sean Payton critical of the New York Jets with Aaron Rodgers
In an interview with Jarrett Bell of USA Today, Payton compared Wilson’s arrival to the Broncos to Rodgers with the Jets this season. Payton said the thinks the Jets are set up for failure this fall after how they handled Rodgers transition in New York:
“It doesn’t happen often where an NFL team or organization gets embarrassed,” Payton said. “And that happened [in Denver]. Part of it was their own fault, relative to spending so much (expletive) time trying to win the offseason – the PR, the pomp and circumstance, marching people around and all this stuff.
We’re not doing any of that. The Jets did that this year. You watch. ‘Hard Knocks,’ all of it. I can see it coming. Remember when (former Washington owner) Dan Snyder put that Dream Team together? I was at the Giants (in 2000). I was a young coach. I thought, ‘How are we going to compete with them? Deion’s (Sanders) there now.’ That team won eight games or whatever. So, listen…just put the work in.”
The Broncos play the Jets early this season
That’s a hot take from Payton here in July. And it comes at the expense of an opponent he’ll see fairly early on in the regular season. The Broncos will host the Jets in Week 5. For two teams that will need to stack wins with difficult schedules in competitive divisions, it could be a season defining game in October.
It should be an exciting matchup to see who can win the battle between Rodgers and Wilson. (Remember, the Broncos wanted Rodgers in a blue and orange uniform.) Payton has confidence he can turn around the Broncos fortune this season.
But should he be taking the Jets lightly?
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