Sean Payton Taking Back Broncos Play-calling. It's About Time | Opinion

Sean Payton finally pulled the plug. He's calling the plays again.

It’s about time.

The Denver Broncos coach has taken back the play-calling duties for his woefully underperforming offense, relieving recently promoted coordinator Davis Webb of the load and undoubtedly hoping it’s the spark that could save the season.

This, a day after DeMeco Ryans revealed that he’ll call the plays again for the Houston Texans defense, bumping coordinator Matt Burke from the task he began in 2025.

Two head coaches. Two major statements.

No, head coaches aren’t the only ones who can get scorched by the hot seat in the NFL. Coordinators of unperforming units better watch their butts, too.

These moves come with Denver (2-2) scoring just 13 points in the first halves of games so far – fewest in the NFL – and Houston (0-4) having allowed 39 points in the fourth quarter and squandered late leads in three of their losses.

One team needs better starts. The other needs better finishes.

Sean Payton, DeMeco Ryans have DIY answer to teams' woes

In both situations, the message from the bosses suggests that they will not stand by passively while the units that they are so closely associated with – Payton has been one of the NFL’s best offensive play-callers for more than two decades, Ryans quickly became one of the league’s most respected defensive minds – spin awful.

Just do it yourself.

Who’s next? Your move, Jim Harbaugh.

In Payton’s case, the buzz persisted even before the season. He turned over offensive play-calling to Webb, considered a rising star in the coaching ranks, in part because Payton thought he’d lose him amid the flurry of offseason moves that included 10 head coaching changes. He admitted that turning the offense over to a rookie play-caller would be difficult, yet he was also eager to see how the bond that Webb has developed with quarterback Bo Nix will carry over to the new arrangement.

Payton promised that he wouldn’t micromanage Webb, 31, like his Hall of Fame mentor Bill Parcells handled him. Yet something Payton said during a preseason visit resonated when I asked him about the prospect of reassuming the play-calling role.

"We’re not going to run off the side of the road here, with the start of our schedule," Payton told USA TODAY Sports on Aug. 14. "We don't have time for growing pains here. We've got to be on point."

Well, it’s been pretty shaky. If Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner is to be believed (and he certainly has the credibility), Nix has missed on too many potential big plays early in games. On his YouTube podcast this week, Warner said that after breaking down the videotape that he counted five instances early in the loss at San Francisco last Sunday where Nix failed to connect with open targets for potential big plays. While Nix has thrown just one first-quarter touchdown this season, both of Denver’s victories came on late rallies – including one against the Rams when the defense provided the winning points on Talanoa Hufanga's 67-yard pick-six.

Now we’ll see whether Payton’s play-calling touch – which can be an art with nuances including calls that set up other calls and the timing to know when to call what play in what situation – will be an elixir beginning with the matchup at the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Remember, the Broncos won 11 straight games last season in earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.

DeMeco Ryans' fix for Texans needs to come now

Ryans, meanwhile, began the week pledging to take a deep dive into what ails the Texans – projected before the season as a projected Super Bowl contender. One issue: communication. As tough as it had to be Ryans to watch the videotape of Dallas Cowboys receiver Cee Dee Lamb torching his defense for 17 catches, 189 yards and the winning touchdown, it may have been even more embarrassing to assess the coverage breakdowns that doomed Houston.

Cornerback Kamari Lassiter shared some of the frustrations when he told reporters on Monday about the challenge of getting into proper plays depending on where Lamb lined up.

“How do you fix it is just everybody continuing to come together to (handle) whatever that communication miscue may be,” said Ryans, who played 10 seasons as an NFL linebacker with the Texans and Philadelphia Eagles. “Let’s find a way to eliminate it, whatever that technique may be. Whatever call we make … let’s go out and make sure we’re coaching it great.”

Burke came to Houston in 2023 as part of Ryans’ original staff but didn’t assume the play-calling role until last season. And it sure worked out. Houston had the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense in 2025 (277.2 yards per game) and allowed the second-fewest points in the league (17.4 points per game). Yet this season, the Texans rank 20^th in yards allowed and 28^th against the pass. And the failure to hold leads late in games has been glaring.

That Ryans has stripped Burke of the play-calling underscores the urgency as a matchup looms on Sunday in Nashville against the winless Tennessee Titans.

“Nobody’s packing it in,” Ryans said. “We’re still coming to work trying to find a way to get a win. The other team we’re playing, they don’t care about it, so we have to go. This is the NFL.”

The Texans started 0-3 last season and made the playoffs. The odds of qualifying for postseason again this year are long – the 1992 San Diego Chargers are the only team the make the playoffs after starting 0-4.

Which reminded us. The current Chargers are 0-4 and the offense has been so out of sorts that Harbaugh was asked about the job security of his new coordinator, Mike McDaniel. For the record, Harbaugh says McDaniel is safe.

At least for now.

Follow Bell on X: @JarrettBell

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sean Payton taking back Broncos play-calling. It's about time | Opinion