ESPN Analyst Blasts Sean Payton’s ‘Poor Coaching Decision’ In Patriots Win

The benefit of hindsight makes it easy to say Sean Payton should have taken the points when he had the chance in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.

Payton’s Denver Broncos had an opportunity to gain a 10-0 lead over the New England Patriots in the opening half, but the head coach wanted more. He kept Jarrett Stidham’s offense on the field for a 4th-and-1 at New England’s 14, but the Patriots forced a critical turnover on downs.

The Patriots escaped Mile High with a 10-7 victory after snow stalled both offenses in the second half. Booger McFarland joined a vocal chorus in criticizing Payton’s choice on ESPN’s “NFL Primetime.”

“The job of a coach is to put his team in the best situation,” McFarland said. “You got to understand situational football. Everybody knew the forecast for the game. You knew, at some point, the weather was gonna get nasty.”

Attempting a short fourth down inside the red zone is often the mathematically sound call, but several factors altered that thinking in Sunday’s game. The Broncos were playing at home without Bo Nix, and their No. 2 defense already forced three Patriots punts in the first quarter.

“And at that point, you’re up 7-0,” McFarland noted. “All the momentum is with you. It’s a 31-yard-field goal. It’s shorter than an extra point. Extra points are 33 yards. This was a 31-yard field goal. He turned it down.”

Statistical models were split on the correct call. ESPN said Payton increased Denver’s win probability by forgoing the field goal, but the 4th Down Decision Bot determined that the Broncos would have been better served chasing the three points. McFarland nevertheless took the path of least resistance and blamed analytics.

“I don’t care what analytics say,” McFarland said. “Sean Payton’s job was to kick the field goal, go up 10-0.”

McFarland said the weather should have affected Payton’s thought process. The Broncos didn’t return to the end zone for the rest of the game, and Wil Lutz had a 45-yard field goal blocked late in the third quarter.

“I thought this was a poor coaching decision and move by Sean Payton.”