Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Nathaniel Hackett had done “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL” with the Broncos last season.
Now that the 2023 Broncos are off to an 0-3 season start, that criticism is coming back around to Payton.
Quarterback Russell Wilson’s best performance of the season Sunday wasn’t enough to prevent a historic 70-20 thrashing by the Miami Dolphins. That’s the most points scored by a team in a single NFL game since 1966.
The blowout was the final straw for some fans watching Payton, for whom the Broncos gave up a 2023 first-round pick to hire.
Payton was also mocked by fans for saying Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was likely to be benched during the 2022 season. Tagovailoa completed 23 of 26 passes Sunday for 309 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Fans additionally had criticism of Payton for his hiring of defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. The Broncos defense surrendered 350 rushing yards to the Dolphins.
Wilson connected on 23 of 38 passes for 306 passing yards, his highest total of the season so far. Nonetheless, the Broncos are now 4-14 in Wilson’s 18 starts since the team traded two first-round picks to acquire him in 2022.
