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Even though the Denver Broncos won the game 10-7 against the Las Vegas Raiders, head coach Sean Payton’s disappointment was visible throughout the game. And HC Payton did not mince words while addressing his two crucial coaching mistakes in the game.

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“I felt like it was a night where I was looking on the wrong section of the third-down sheet,” the Broncos’ head coach said after a hard-fought win in Mile High.

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In the 3rd-and-1, coach Payton made a questionable play where the quarterback, Bo Nix, threw a backward pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who tried to run for the first down. However, it ended up with a 5-yard loss. The Raiders’ defense was better than expected.

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There was another mistake that Payton addressed during the presser. He admitted that he wouldn’t have “attempted the 59-yard field goal,” as per Zac Stevens. Kicker Wil Lutz missed the 59-yard field goal. These mistakes weren’t taken lightly by the fans or one former player.

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NFL legend Shannon Sharpe called out coach Payton’s mistakes on social media.

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“Sean W-F was that? Need 1 yd and you run a gimmick,” Sharpe wrote on X after the mistake in 3rd-and-1.

The reason the Broncos pulled off the win and are sitting at 8-2 is their dominant defense. They sacked Raiders QB Geno Smith six times, intercepted him once, and even blocked a punt. But the win didn’t put the coach at ease.

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“We’re never comfortable as coaches,” the Broncos’ HC said when asked if he felt comfortable with the win. “So you’re asking, am I comfortable? As a coach, we’re never satisfied. If my answer were to you, ‘I’m comfortable,’ that’d be silly.”

And it might be because of the offense, which clearly had issues. Nix started the game off shaky, taking a sack on three of his first dropbacks and struggling with his balance. He threw two interceptions to cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly.

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The first came on an overthrow in the second quarter and the other on a tipped pass in the fourth. The QB finished 16-of-28 for 150 yards, with one touchdown. The offense struggled throughout the game.

Penalties are a major issue for the Broncos’ offense.

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Sean Payton addressed the issue with the offense

The Broncos had 11 penalties for 78 yards in the game against the Raiders. But the penalty issue has been troubling the Broncos for a while now. So, during the presser, the coach addressed the issues.

“We got to clean up the penalties,” he said. “We got to clean up some of the execution, and that is an ongoing thing that probably never ends. You search for that ‘Shangri-La.”

However, coach Payton reminded that the Broncos are the only team with 8 wins.

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“Right now, we’re a team that’s sitting at eight wins. I think we’re the only team sitting there, so. And yet, we’re constantly looking internally,” Payton said. “It was a tough night offensively, obviously.”

There was also a curiosity about whether the wind affected the game, but the coach dismissed it. As for the next Week, the Broncos will face the Kansas City Chiefs.

Now, the wins are certainly impressive, but the Broncos must address their offensive issues soon before they cause bigger problems.

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Pritha Debroy

3,476 Articles

Pritha Debroy works with the NFL Lifestyle Desk at EssentiallySports, where she explores the league beyond the sidelines and focuses on the cultural nuances of football. Bringing a fresh perspective shaped by her background in basketball lifestyle stories and cross-sport expertise, she highlights how NFL athletes build influence off the field. A graduate of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, our in-house initiative that trains writers under industry experts, Pritha specializes in long-form features and player-driven stories that capture the evolving identity of today’s NFL stars. Pritha combines her passion for storytelling with a thoughtful approach to sports culture and lifestyle. With strong communication skills and an eye for detail, she brings a distinctive voice to NFL journalism, delivering engaging and insightful content that resonates with readers.

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Abhishek Kumar

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