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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Simply two video games into his first season as Denver Broncos head coach, Sean Payton immediately finds himself wrestling with a number of the similar clock-management and penalty points Nathaniel Hackett had in an ill-fated 15-game run because the workforce’s coach final season.

After a 35-33 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday — a sport the Broncos had led 21-3 within the second quarter — Denver is now one of many league’s eight 0-2 groups.

On Monday, Payton stated after the Broncos’ alignment and clock points that he and the coaches will take a look at methods to lower verbiage in a few of their playcalls.

The Broncos had to make use of a number of timeouts Sunday to keep away from delay of sport penalties and had a number of events on either side of the ball when gamers appeared not sure of the place to be within the formation earlier than the snap.

Payton stated they will make progress by shortening the playcalls or “attending to the road of scrimmage spontaneously,” or giving quarterback Russell Wilson a wristband to cowl a number of the performs with longer playcalls.

“I feel, No. 1, the very first thing that we all the time strive to take a look at — however we’ve to do a greater job of as coaches — is cut back the verbiage,” Payton stated. “If we’ve an extended play, then we are able to simply get to a wristband. Now we have to cut back the variables. I simply completed saying this within the workforce assembly — if we’re making [mental errors] defensively and offensively, we’re having hassle breaking the huddle and getting lined up, then we’ve to take a look at if we’ve an excessive amount of in [the game plan]. Then, how will we cut back the verbiage on the line of scrimmage, or within the huddle, fairly frankly? … That is going to enhance.”

Clock administration on offense was one of many points Payton had criticized most through the offseason when he mentioned the Broncos’ 2022 offense, when the workforce was final within the league in scoring at 16.9 factors per sport. He stated publicly that the offense was “arduous to look at,” and in a coaching camp interview with USA Right now, he was extremely essential of Hackett and his workers, saying, amongst different gadgets, they “could not get a play in.”

Payton had additionally been extremely essential of the Broncos’ penalties final season. After two video games, the Broncos are tied for the league lead with Baltimore in accepted penalties — with 21 penalties total, 19 accepted. The Inexperienced Bay Packers have been flagged 22 occasions total however have had six of these penalties declined.

Payton particularly pointed on the Broncos’ fouls on protection, which in Sunday’s loss included security Kareem Jackson’s ejection for a success on Washington tight finish Logan Thomas, who suffered a concussion on the play.

Jackson shouldn’t be anticipated to be suspended for his hit on Thomas, a supply instructed ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Monday. He will probably be topic to a wonderful for what seemed to be a helmet-to-helmet collision. Jackson was fined $14,819 for his Week 1 hit on Las Vegas Raiders receiver Jakobi Meyers, who additionally sustained a concussion.

“There’s issues that stand out proper now, and earlier than you discuss win video games, you even have to grasp how to not lose video games,” Payton stated. “We’re presently tied for a league-high 19 penalties. We lead the league defensively with defensive fouls referred to as with 12, 5 private fouls.”

The Broncos had eight accepted penalties for 87 yards in Sunday’s loss.

“Now we have plenty of performs the place we’re off the sphere on third down, however there is a flag on the turf, there’s holding, defensive go interference, which makes it an automated first down,” Payton added. “So, as a substitute of being off the sphere, these are turnover penalties. We have to be higher, extra disciplined in that space, and that begins with us as coaches.”