When the Denver Broncos were down 21 points for a field goal late in the third quarter, coach Sean Payton directed his anger at quarterback Russell Wilson before officials at Ford in Saturday’s 42-17 loss to the Detroit Lions. field.
Officials called Denver’s offense on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line and nullified a touchdown by fullback Michael Burton. Payton was visibly upset by the call, which he called right guard Quinn Meinerz guilty even though replays showed he was in legal position.
Meinerz called the sentence “tragic.”
“I haven’t seen the picture or the film yet,” he told reporters after the game, “but it’s sad. I’m really trying to play penalty-free football.”
Payton said after the game that Wilson’s perceived frustration was related to the Offsides call that wiped out the score.
“I was upset with the call,” Payton said of the postgame. “That’s it. Easy.”
When asked what he said to Wilson during the sideline interaction, Payton said, “Listen, it’s none of your business what I’m talking about with Russell.
Play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Harlan called Payton and Wilson’s interaction “very animated” and a “one-sided conversation”. Wilson, for his part, saw his relationship with Payton as problematic.
“We really wanted to score (a touchdown) on that drive,” Wilson said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t. More than anything, we should have made it 28-14, so we were disappointed that we didn’t score there. Obviously they stopped us. That was the frustrating part. … They want a passionate coach. They also want players. My biggest thing is to always focus on the next game.
The infuriating sequence occurred two plays after the Broncos were ruled to have stalled at the 1-yard line, although the replays could have been touchdowns on a second-down reception by Jallel McLaughlin and a third-down run by Javonte Williams. . Peyton was unchallenged either game.
“They were close,” Payton said when asked if he intended to challenge second- or third-down plays. “The problem is that when you start challenging areas, it becomes difficult.”
The entire chain of events was ultimately educational in Detroit’s dominance, but Peyton’s onside foul by Wilson, which cost the contest in the first quarter, underscored the frustration of a completely ruined opportunity to advance to a playoff spot. With the loss, the Broncos drop to 7-7 and remain behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West.
Payton declined to elaborate on his comments about the call against Meinerz, hours after news broke that Chiefs coach Andy Reid had been fined $100,000 for public criticism of the official’s offensive call in last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills in Kansas City.
“He is what he is,” he said.
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(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)