Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton could’ve used some of his own advice in Sunday’s 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
ESPN’s Seth Wickersham revealed that just a week ago, Payton was watching the NFC Divisional Round matchup between the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams and questioned Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s decision not to kick a field goal on his team’s opening drive.
“Kick it,” Payton said as he watched Chicago’s offense line up for a fourth-down play.
After Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had his pass intercepted, Payton questioned, “Why are coaches not kicking field goals?” before returning to his preparation for the AFC title game. Chicago wound up losing to Los Angeles in overtime by a margin of three points.
The Broncos would’ve had the chance to take a 10-point lead if Payton decided to kick a field goal early in the second quarter, but he opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the New England 14-yard line. The pass from Denver backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham fell incomplete, preserving the one-score game. The Patriots managed to tie the game with a touchdown before halftime.
As snowy conditions changed the trajectory of the game in the second half, the Patriots converted a field goal on their opening possession of the third quarter to break the tie. The Broncos’ offense struggled to move the ball as the weather worsened, and Will Lutz’s 45-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter was tipped at the line of scrimmage, sending the kick wide of the uprights.
In hindsight, Payton should’ve taken the points when he could, as a 10-point deficit certainly would’ve affected how the Patriots approached the rest of the game. Instead, New England advanced to Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks, while Denver will be stuck watching at home with the rest of the world.
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