If Little Johnny’s report card isn’t so good (or is it ain’t so good?), there’s really only one thing a parent can request:
Johnny, do better next time.
If the Denver Broncos are Little Johnny, mission accomplished.
Yesterday, the NFLPA released its annual team-by-team report card, a player-based assessment of how each franchise is viewed in a multitude of categories. On the aggregate, the Broncos ranked 17th in the NFL, down one from last year’s No. 16 rating.
That rank, however, doesn’t necessarily tell the story. Perhaps the slotting puts Denver in the middle of the pack (again), but more telling is the fact that in 11 different categories, the Broncos improved in seven. In two categories – the weight room and team ownership – the grade remained unchanged. Last year’s B-rating of the weight room was adequate, and remained so this year, but the bigger story here is that the Walton-Penner Group is in the midst of an entire facilities makeover. The weightroom grade will likely improve next time around, as will the “locker room” grade (currently an “F”). Improvements in such areas will likely take as long as construction – then, problem solved.
It’s clear that the players also acknowledge the Walton-Penner Group is addressing these areas of concern, considering that the ownership grade was an A last season and remains an A this season.
(For a complete breakdown of the entire Broncos report card, click here. And for a team-by-team look, click here.)
In many ways, the NFLPA report is much ado about nothing. A team’s makeup changes from year to year. Surely, the season results play into overall grades (take the Patriots for example; once thought to be a premier franchise, now ranks second-to-last after just a few lackluster seasons without Tom Brady). And the anonymity of the participants – which is sometimes questioned – may or may not play into a player’s true feelings. While one’s workplace, superiors and co-workers are important, the NFL’s most important grade is a team’s final record. And in 2024, the Broncos took a major leap, going 10-7 and making the postseason for the first time since 2015.
But there is one grade that stands out as somewhat interesting, a headscratcher of sorts.
In the “head coach” category, Sean Payton’s rank dropped from an A- in 2023 to a B in 2024.
Huh?
Nobody ever gets grounded for a B grade. Then again, anytime a kid’s grade drops, don’t the parents wonder why?
Last season, it’s been suggested more than once that Payton’s handling of the Russell Wilson situation actually cost the Broncos a trip to the playoffs. It was a messy scenario all around, but a Christmas Eve home loss to a hapless Patriots team, followed by the benching of Wilson for the remainder of the season, turned what was – at one point – a turnaround season into a major disappointment. Yet, Payton’s players gave him an A- grade, which ranked him 17th across the league.
This season, that grade dropped to a B, placing Payton as the No. 26 coach in the NFL.
Something is amiss.
More importantly, is there any cause for concern?
Again, in the history of report cards, there’s little to complain about with a B grade. But from an outsider’s perspective, Payton did a masterful job with a cap-strapped roster and a rookie quarterback. Las Vegas predicted the Broncos would win 5.5 games this season; Payton and his team doubled that expectation with 10 wins and a playoff berth.
But remember, the report comes from the players. Not me. Not you. Not the media. Not The Strip.
What might cause Payton’s roster to lower his overall grade?
Should, in the eyes of his players, the Broncos have done better? Was the rocky start to the season avoidable? Did the playoff loss to the Bills, which included a horrific offensive output, leave a bad taste in the players’ mouth? Has Payton tipped the scales from “confident” to “arrogant”?
Too many windsprints? Not enough team bonding? Too… too… too… many longwinded… answers… relative to questions asked… after games? What? What is it?
Should Payton’s dip in grade be a cause for concern for the Broncos?
Nobody’s making the accusation. Just asking.
One thing’s for certain: Sean Payton is nowhere near the 26th “best” coach in the NFL. There’s a reason why he was a finalist for the NFL’s Coach of the Year. Payton was hired to win, and that’s what he did in 2024.
Isn’t that making the grade?