Sean Payton took back the Denver Broncos' offensive play-calling duties from Davis Webb after four games, a change that puts the offense back under the coach's direct control just before Sunday's game at the Los Angeles Chargers.
The shift matters because Denver entered the week at 2-2, but the numbers behind that record have been poor. The Broncos ranked 28th in scoring at 16.8 points per game and 28th in total offense at 280.3 yards per game through four weeks. They also managed only 13 first-half points in that span, their fewest through four games in a season since at least 2000, according to TruMedia. That is the backdrop for Payton's decision and the reason the move is being treated as more than a routine adjustment.
Webb said Friday he was disappointed to lose the role, but he also said he and Payton met for an hour earlier this week to talk through the change. Payton, he said, shared his own story of being stripped of play calling when he was an assistant with the New York Giants in 2002. Webb added that he has stayed a central figure in planning for Sunday's game, continuing to run meetings and help in the quarterback room while trying to keep the work moving forward.
The friction is plain: Webb took responsibility for the offense's slow start, but Payton decided four games was enough to change course. Webb said the Broncos did not put together a full game consistently enough and that he has learned to think in best- and worst-case terms when he takes on a job. For now, he said, it is about being the best teammate and best offensive coordinator he can be, while Payton looks for a faster rhythm from Bo Nix and a better sequence of calls against the Los Angeles Chargers.
What happens next is straightforward. Payton will call the plays on Sunday, and Denver's answer to its offensive problems will be measured against the same issues that forced the change in the first place.
