Former Sean Payton QB Calls for Coach to Be Benched Amid Broncos’ Offensive Struggles
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is facing some serious heat, not just from fans, but from one of his former quarterbacks. 
As Predominantly Orange noted, Ben DiNucci, who spent time under Payton’s system in a backup QB role in 2023, took to social media to voice what many in Broncos Country have been feeling all season: it’s time for Payton to give up play-calling duties.
The frustration has boiled over as Denver’s offense continues to sputter despite having one of the NFL’s most respected offensive minds calling the plays.
DiNucci publicly called for quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, who handled play-calling during the preseason, to take over.
“Payton’s offense just isn’t clicking,” one fan replied to DiNucci’s post. “At least Webb had these guys moving the ball in August.”
Even those loyal to Payton are starting to question whether his grip on the offense has become part of the problem and if he is the reason this talented Broncos unit is underachieving.
Broncos’ Offensive Struggles
Through the first seven games of the season, the Broncos are averaging 23.3 points per game (17th) and 302.0 total yards per game, numbers that point towards an offense that is still searching for its rhythm.
For a team led by one of football’s most respected offensive minds, Denver’s struggles have been alarming.
Denver’s third-down conversion rate is 29.17% (28 of 96), among the league’s worst, a key reason drives continue to stall.
Protection has been leaky as well as they have allowed 34 sacks for 202 yards lost on the season.
The Broncos also sit at –2 in turnover differential and 29:02 in average time of possession, both indicators of an offense that struggles to sustain drives.
Explosiveness has not been there for Denver’s offense.
The Broncos are averaging just 179.9 passing yards per game and 93.3 rushing yards, with a modest 3.8 yards per carry.
For a team built around Sean Payton’s offensive creativity, those totals tell a different story. Denver’s offense is moving the ball at only 302 yards per game, while opponents are racking up 354.1 yards, meaning the Broncos are consistently losing the field position and time of possession battle.
Broncos Outlook
Context matters: this is still a winning team.
Compared to Sean Payton’s usual standard where his Saints offenses consistently ranked among the NFL’s top 10, Denver’s current unit feels underwhelming.
Sitting 17th in points per game, the Broncos have been solid but far from the high-powered attacks that Payton was once known for.
With a 5-2 record and a defense holding opponents to 18.1 points per game, an average offense may be enough to get to the playoffs but any Super Bowl ambitions will require turning that 29.17% third-down rate and negative turnover mark in the right direction.
DiNucci’s critique resonates because the data does. Denver’s defense has given them a cushion; the offense now has to match it.
Despite the Denver Broncos‘ offensive struggles, head coach Sean Payton stated on Monday in a press conference that he has no plans to give up his play-calling duties.
When asked if he had considered handing the duties off, he replied, “No, I think we’re comfortable as an offensive staff of how we’re operating.”
Bears Playmaker ‘Hoping I Don’t Get Fined’ After Questionable Penalty vs. Saints
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Kyler Gordon of the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears selected Kyler Gordon with the 39th overall pick in the 2022 draft, and he has become an invaluable member of their secondary in the years since.
The slot cornerback’s 2025 season has been delayed slightly, as he missed the first four games with a hamstring injury. He returned Week 6, and his presence has given a definite jolt to the entire defense.
Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints, he played lights out, finishing with four total tackles (one for loss), a QB hit and his first sack of the year.
Late in the second quarter of that October 19 matchup, Gordon was flagged for unnecessary roughness after a jarring hit on running back Alvin Kamara — a call that drew immediate frustration from Gordon and the entire Bears’ sideline. The play wiped out what would’ve been a key third-down stop, and drawing the flag was something that stayed with Gordon after the final whistle blew.
Kyler Gordon on Unnecessary Roughness Penalty vs. Saints: ‘Hoping I Don’t Get Fined’
GettyCB Kyler Gordon of the Chicago Bears hopes he doesn’t get fined for his unnecessary roughness penalty called against him Week 7 vs. the Saints.
“Gordon was still in disbelief after the game,” Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune wrote on October 20. “He clearly hit Kamara on the shoulder. Gordon’s left hand contacted the helmet when Kamara was going to the turf, but it sure didn’t look worthy of a penalty. Fortunately for the Bears, the Saints drive quickly stalled out after the penalty.”
“Blew him up,” Gordon said about the play, via Biggs. “Did my job and they didn’t like it. I don’t know what to say. You can review the film and I’m hoping I don’t get fined. I’m not trying to get fined. I think I did the right thing. We’ll review it.”
If anything, the Bears should ask the league to review the play, as it sure looked like Gordon did everything right only to get penalized for it.
Bears Defense Looking Dominant in Recent Weeks
Gordon’s return to the lineup has undeniably given Dennis Allen’s defense a ton of juice. In their win over the Saints, the Bears held Kamara and company to just 44 rushing yards, their lowest total of the year by far.
Chicago’s defense had nine takeaways over its first four games. The unit has forced seven turnovers over the last two games since Gordon returned to the lineup. With Gordon in the mix, Chicago can mix up looks, blitz more frequently and trust the secondary to hold its own.
Gordon’s return also carries a broader ripple effect — the defense has more options. They can stay in nickel without sacrificing coverage quality. They can shuffle Gordon between slot and outside. Pressure packages become more feasible because the secondary isn’t having to double-up on every dangerous receiver. That flexibility is exactly what Allen covets.
Return of LB T.J. Edwards Has Also Given Bears Defense a Boost
The return of linebacker T.J. Edwards has been just as impactful.
Edwards stepping back into the middle of the field means the defense isn’t just better on the edge and in the secondary — they’re stronger in the second level too. His run-stuffing prowess is a huge reason the team’s defense played so well against Kamara and the Saints.
Taken together, Gordon and Edwards both returning gives the Bears’ defense a far better shot at being more than just average. Weeks 6 and 7 offered a glimpse of what this unit can be. If this continues — if Gordon remains healthy and Allen keeps calling the aggressive stuff — the Bears will be a genuine menace on that side of the ball.
Former Steelers QB slams regrettable George Pickens trade
The Pittsburgh Steelers lack a quality No. 2 receiver, so it's easy to see why a former QB slammed the regrettable George Pickens trade.
The good news is the Pittsburgh Steelers don't need to sign George Pickens, since they traded him to the Cowboys. That's a move that made Dak Prescott happy. However, a former Steelers quarterback slammed his team for the regrettable trade of the star receiver.
Think about it. The Steelers could have been rolling along this season with D.K. Metcalf and Pickens. Instead, they have Metcalf, but nobody to support him on the other side.
So it’s easy to see why Charlie Batch is up in arms, according to a post on YouTube by the Up & Adams Show.
“They paired George Pickens up with arguably the worst coordinator [Matt Canada] in the history of the NFL,” Batch said. “And I’m not throwing shade. The numbers are what they are. So [Pickens] lost more games in Pittsburgh than he ever lost in his career. And he had a bad rap, and he didn’t know how to lose. And I’m okay with that.
“… Now you’re seeing him showcase in an offense that are now throwing the football around on what his skills are. Ultimately, he’s going to get a huge contract, whether that’s in Dallas or somewhere else, because this guy can flat-out play.”
Are Steelers missing WR George Pickens?
They do have a useless third-round pick, as far as this season goes. And they have a quarterback in Aaron Rodgers who’s already well past his prime. He will be another year older for whoever the Steelers bring in at the wide receiver position in 2026 — if he doesn’t retire.
The Steelers bungled the decision to trade Pickens. Some of it had to do with him clashing with Mike Tomlin. But here’s the reality, according to ESPN.
“Pickens is the sixth receiver in the Mike Tomlin era to be drafted by Pittsburgh and eventually traded to another team,” Brooke Pryor wrote. “Five of those players — Pickens, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Martavis Bryant, and Brown — were dealt in part because of concerns involving their conduct. But Pickens had other issues than money.
“I think every team seems to have one or two guys in that room that you have to manage them correctly,” Steelers owner Art Rooney II said in January. “I still think George has enough talent that we've got to try to work and see if we can get him to fulfill the talent that he really has. Who knows if we can get there? We'll see. But when you have guys that are as talented as some of the guys you're probably thinking of, you try to work with them and have them help you be successful.”
But the Steelers didn’t wait. And so far, there have been zero problems in Dallas. So maybe the issue was Tomlin, not Pickens?
“I can't really change anyone's opinion,” Pickens said of outside perceptions during his introductory news conference call in Dallas. “Me, personally, I just continue to grow. I feel like everybody in the world has to grow. You get older and older as you grow, and I'm just trying to build a winning culture, which they already have at the Cowboys. I'm just glad to be joining it.”
All of those numbers where the Steelers trade a guy and he flops elsewhere are already out the window with Pickens. He’s on pace for 1,475 yards and 15 touchdowns. The touchdown total would be triple his previous career high with the Steelers. And his yardage total would beat his career high by 335 yards.
Yeah, not good, Steelers.
