ENGLEWOOD, Colo — Understand, Saturday was the second consecutive game Broncos head coach Sean Payton was spotted scolding his quarterback Russell Wilson on the sideline during the game.
The first time, two weeks ago against the Los Angeles Chargers, the coach’s admonishing of his star player was only spotted on the SoFi Stadium video board up above the playing surface. The second time, Saturday in Detroit, the heated exchange was spotted by NFL Network cable channel cameras, and then spread through the social media universe.
Both times, Wilson stood stoically to his coach’s lambaste.
“Nothing more to share,’’ Payton said Monday in a Zoom press conference. “It’s certainly in-game intensity, heat of the moment all those things but nothing more to add.”
Payton was asked if he addressed his one-sided exchange with Wilson privately, or with the team.
“Not at all,’’ Payton said. “First or all we haven’t had a team meeting. And Russ and I have a great relationship. No, not at all.”
There was no team meeting because before the players report to begin preparations for the Broncos next game this Christmas Eve night against the 3-11 New England Patriots at Empower Field, Payton gave them Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off.
He may have sensed his team’s fatigued during their 42-17 loss Saturday at Detroit. Not only did the Broncos play three games in 13 days on the road, they stretched those games across three time zones while practicing in between in a fourth.
“We’ve got to add some energy, we’ve got to have some juice,’’ Payton said. “We’ve got to have a plan. We still want to make sure we get the corrections made but I think our body language and our energy will be important.”
Other topics Payton addressed Monday:
*Greg Dulcich. The second year tight end has missed most of this season – most of the past two seasons, for that matter -- because of a recurring strained hamstring. He finally returned to practice last Wednesday – and suffered a foot injury. However, Dulcich is expected to resume practice again this week.
“I usually don’t like talking about injuries but I want to make sure it’s unrelated to his hamstring,’’ Payton said. “He just had some swelling, soreness in his foot. So we took him off weight bearing for a day or two. I’m actually anxious to see how he does this week. I expect him to play at some point in these final three weeks.”
*The Broncos lethargic running game during the three-game road swing. The team only rushed for 3.0 yards per carry against the Lions, 3.4 yards against the Chargers, and 3.9 yards vs. the Texans.
“We didn’t run it as well as I thought we would and quite honestly I think that’s an area, Cleveland was the last game where I felt like we ran it really well,’’ Payton said. “I think in this next three-game stretch we’re going to have to run it better than we have.”
*Not using his challenge flag when it appeared Jaleel McGlaughlin on second down and Javonte Williams on third down crossed the plane for a touchdown before Michael Burton’s 1-yard touchdown run was nullified by right guard Quinn Meinerz lining up offsides.
“Let’s go through it,’’ Payton said. “The second down call is a call that has a chance to be reviewed, Jaleel’s play. In hindsight, does he get in or not? It’s still hard to tell.
“Javonte’s I had a good enough angle on that but we’re sitting at the half-yard line and I’m thinking we have a good-goal line plan in this game. Yeah, looking at that – and I’m one to throw a challenge flag and burn them. But I didn’t feel strong enough that we had crossed the goal line. It certainly looks close. And then my history relative to them changing that type of call has been average at best.
“The anger and frustration from that sequence comes from the fourth-down call. And the touchdown and then what was later called a penalty and now we’re sitting there with fourth and, call it 6, instead of fourth and half a yard.”
*On chances of Broncos making the playoffs as a wild-card in a crowded race involving several other 8-6 teams:
“It’s going to take three wins but it starts with this week,’’ Payton said. “The key for us is to get rested and get ready for these final three weeks really starting this week with New England. You can’t lose that (Detroit) game twice, you lost it once. We all did collectively. I think the leadership and experience we have in this locker room we’ve leaned on and we’ll lean on again and I think it will serve us well.’’
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