Sean Payton was probably riding on the high of defeating the Carolina Panthers 26-21, managing to hold off the narrow lead until the end. However, the no-nonsense head coach switched right back into gear when he thought he saw someone smoking in the postgame press conference. Apparently, Payton was in the wrong.

“Could we not smoke in here? Please?” Payton said, before realizing he’d made a mistake. “Oh, you’re not smoking. You got a pencil. I’m sorry. I thought you were smoking. I owe you,” he added, laughing.

“I had a flashback, thinking, who’s smoking a cigarette? All right. I’m sorry.”

The move only went to show that Payton takes accountability seriously, along with holding players responsible for their actions when they mess up. However, the Broncos’ head coach might be more critical about smoking due to two extremely tough losses.

Payton lost his mother, Jean Jeanne Payton, to lung cancer. 

Back in October, he had to clarify things with a reporter after the latter claimed the head coach came off as rude previously.

“I’m really old. So back in the day, the coach could say something, and I could run to a player’s locker room,” shared the reporter. 

“Oh, I didn’t mean it that way. No, no, no, I know. I didn’t mean it that way. Totally,” shared the head coach, laughing it off.

“Because I asked you very respectfully,” the reporter further shared. 

“I did not mean it. Yes, I did not mean that. No, I was just freaking tired and cranky. What’s my nickname? I was Mr. Crabby Pants yesterday. I appreciate you asking that,” Payton tried to lighten the mood. 

This time, too, he apologized to the reporter very quickly. After all, the Denver camp is now at a comfortable 7-2. 

Trailing in the fourth quarter, the Broncos mounted another comeback to beat the Carolina Panthers 26-21 on Sunday. The result marked Denver’s 16th straight win in a one-score game, setting an NFL record.

The Denver Broncos are now facing a more demanding schedule after posting a 14-3 record in 2025, winning the AFC West and earning the AFC’s top playoff seed last year. Those hopes looked shaky earlier in the 2026 season, but after Payton took over play-calling duties from Davis Webb, the Broncos have won five games straight. The Broncos will face the Las Vegas Raiders next after a bye.

Payton will allow his healthy players to take the time off.

“I told you guys this. I went two or three years practicing on Wednesdays and Thursdays and then we were okay. I called Andy one year in Philly, he was 9-0 after the bye and I was waiting for something. He just said, ‘I get [the players] out of here and I see them next Monday.’ Ever since we’ve done that, we’ve been pretty good after the bye as well.

“They’ll rest. The guys getting treatment [will continue]. And then at some point, we’ll get a jump start on Vegas.”

Time to see how Payton maintains his cool down the stretch. But one better not try to catch the coach when he’s in a bad mood, or perhaps anything that looks like a cylinder.