Sean Payton is expected to provide a major upgrade for the Denver Broncos as the team's latest head coach, and he is filling out his coaching staff with assistants he has worked with in the past. Payton named Joe Lombardi as the Broncos offensive coordinator, a position he held in 2022 with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Lombardi had been with the Broncos' AFC West rival the past two seasons, and he was the subject of criticism after Los Angeles was eliminated by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card playoff game. The Chargers built a 27-0 leader before dropping a 31-30 decision.
Lombardi served as a coach on Payton's staff with the New Orleans Saints. He had two stints with the Saints as the team's quarterbacks coach.
The Broncos struggled badly on the offensive side of the ball in 2022. They ranked last in the NFL in points per game, scoring just 16.9 points per game. Former head coach Nathaniel Hackett came to the Broncos with a reputation as an offensive builder, but he was fired after less than a year on the job.
Payton excelled as an offensive coach during his long tenure with the Saints, and Lombardi was a key part of that success. Payton and Lombardi are expected to deliver an offense that features much sharper play calling and an attack that is more straight forward to the players attempting to execute the game plan.
If the head coach Joe Lombardi are successful, the Broncos could make a significant jump in the standings because the Denver defense was outstanding for much of the season. The Broncos finished the 2022 season with a 5-12 record and finished in last place in the AFC West.
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