Fresh off a wild Week 7 rally, Sean Payton had already pushed back on the chorus questioning his play-calling. Denver needed a franchise-record 33 fourth-quarter points to beat the Giants 33-32, and Payton said he had “given no consideration” to handing off play-calling, defending a screen-heavy approach that finally broke open late. It set a tone: the Broncos were leaning into their identity and weren’t interested in outside noise ahead of Dallas.
Then came the punchline after facing Dallas’ last-ranked defense.
“Sean Payton on the Broncos’ facing the Cowboys defense who was last in the NFL: ‘We wanted to keep them last,’” Zac Stevens posted on X.
He added that Payton said the Broncos’ offense against the Cowboys' defense “wasn’t close.” It was a cut-and-dry flex: Denver saw a weakness, targeted it, and didn’t mince words about the mismatch.
Payton’s barb lands because it tracks with the recent arc. Denver’s offense had been maligned for sluggish starts, but the Giants' comeback put the league on notice that the Broncos could create explosives when it mattered.
Against Dallas, Payton’s message was that the plan met the moment, no elaborate explanation required. The subtext is about standards, too: if you’re last in a category, expect opponents to test that status until you prove otherwise.
On the other side, injuries complicated Denver’s win. Cornerback Patrick Surtain II endured multiple issues in the Cowboys game, first exiting in the opening quarter with a lower-body scare before later leaving for good with a shoulder injury, per Tracy Wolfson of CBS Sports.
Surtain still managed five tackles (four solo) before departing. Denver’s secondary worked to bottle up George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb for stretches, and the run defense limited Dallas to 89 yards at 3.6 per carry while Surtain battled through snaps.
The concern now shifts to how long their All-Pro anchor might be sidelined and whether the coverage unit can maintain its level if he misses time.
Payton didn’t just beat a struggling defense; he said the quiet part out loud. Denver aimed to keep Dallas last, and by his account, “it wasn’t close.”
The Broncos' next challenge will be against the Houston Texans on Nov. 2.
