In the first-ever flexed Thursday Night Football game on Amazon Prime—a huge game between two teams for the final playoff spots in the AFC—Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton had one thing on his mind.
Run the ball.
We know this because the words "RUN IT!!" were scribbled on Payton's laminated call sheet.
"RUN IT!!!"
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 20, 2024
- Sean Payton pic.twitter.com/IloIJxfQ5V
While Payton apparently prepared for the game with a run-first mentality, the Broncos were an evenly distributed 11 passes and 11 runs after two successful scoring drives. Bo Nix had completed nine passes for 70 yards and a touchdown while Audric Estime had 30 yards on the ground to go with a touchdown.
Who knows how many times Payton would have had his prize rookie quarterback throw the ball if he hadn't been so focused on running the ball. With how efficient Nix was early in the game, you couldn't have blamed Payton if he had decided to just let him cook.
More of the Latest Around the NFL
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sean Payton Had a Two-Word Message for Himself on Play-Calling Sheet vs. Chargers.
