Stand in Front

Denver Broncos Coach Sean Payton went DEFCON 5 with his recent comments about the team’s past coaching regime.

As the Broncos’ new leader, Payton addressed the problems of last season rather bluntly — with blame handed all around. 

“There’s so much dirt around that,” he said. “There are 20 dirty hands, for what was allowed, tolerated in the fricking training rooms, the meeting rooms.

“The offense. I don’t know Hackett. A lot of people had dirt on their hands. It wasn’t just Russell. He didn’t just flip. He still has it. This B.S. that he hit a wall? Shoot, they couldn’t get a play-in. They were 29th in the league in pre-snap penalties on both sides of the ball. Everybody’s got a little stink on their hands. It was a (poor) offensive line. It might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL. That’s how bad it was.”

The NFL is not a league where coaches typically attack other coaches. They toe the positivity line publicly, expressing respect for their peers regardless of their private thoughts.

So when these comments were made, they instantly went viral, with many believing the emotional Payton flew off the handle.

But he didn’t. In reality, he was being strategic.

Why would Payton make these comments now, after he has been on the job for the last six months? 

Because he needed to give his players a fresh start, a way to remove the past from their present. As the organization's new leader, Payton needed to absolve the players of their horrible year and the constant badgering from the media that would have continued for weeks. 

He did with his words what all great leaders must; he stood before his team and became the focal point. 

Was this insensitive to the former staff? Yes, but for good reason.

Because Payton crossed that sacred line of pointing the finger at the former coaches, he is now subject to ridicule and blame, which is exactly what he intended. The spotlight is now on him — and him alone.

By shifting culpability away from his current players, he endeared himself to his team and gave them a fresh start.

If anything goes wrong, Payton will be blamed because he already said it wasn’t his players’ fault. He stands with them — and expects them to perform at a higher level. 

Typically, leadership isn’t about blaming others but realizing any blame levied should rest solely upon the person at the helm. Those harsh comments by Payton now make him the target. 

That was his plan all along.