Sean Payton takes back Broncos play-calling before the Chiefs game

Why the calls came back

Sean Payton took play-calling back from offensive coordinator Davis Webb after four games, according to a Bleacher Report story dated October 9, 2026. The Broncos were 2-2 at that point. The same report says the offense ranked 27th in scoring and 25th in yards per play, and that Denver had scored just 13 points across its first four first halves [3].

The numbers behind the decision go beyond the scoreboard. Bo Nix's adjusted yards per attempt fell to 5.8 from 6.4 in 2025, and Denver's running backs averaged 3.6 yards per carry, down from 4.4 [3]. The story does not quote Payton on the change, but it says he felt a change was needed [3].

Payton had handed the job to Webb in the offseason, which made the reversal a visible one [3]. Yahoo Sports puts it in the same terms: Payton resumed offensive play-calling duties earlier in October, after a 2-2 start [1].

Webb's answer

Webb was asked about the change on a Friday, and his answers were blunt. On whether four games was enough to judge him, he said: "Luckily that's not my job, that's [Payton's] job." On the decision itself: "it's not ideal, but in the same breath, we're 2-2 in the first four games" [3].

He also pointed to the schedule. His first four opponents had a combined 13-3 record at that point, and he said "Welcome to the league" [3]. The remark frames the early losses as a question of who the Broncos had played, not only how the offense looked.

The first-half problem

Yahoo Sports adds more detail from the same stretch. During Webb's first four weeks, Denver had the league's lowest first-half point total, 13 points. The Broncos ranked 29th in rushing at 81.3 yards per game, and 27th in both total points and total yards per game [1].

Those numbers explain why the first half became the focus. An offense that starts slowly puts pressure on the defense, and it makes every early drive a test of the play-caller.

Since the change

Denver has won three straight games since Payton took the calls back, and the Broncos go into Week 8 at 5-2 [1]. Kansas City is 5-1. Yahoo Sports describes the game as taking place on Sunday afternoon, which places it on November 1 [1].

The Chiefs' defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, has a clear view of Payton's calls. Asked about the change, he said: "Yeah, listen, I've gone against and seen Sean (Payton) call a lot of games." He added: "So, we'll kind of use that history a little bit, but both of them are really good" [1].

A debate that started in February

The question of who calls the plays is not new in Denver. In February, Denver Sports columnist Will Petersen argued that Payton should hand the calls to Davis Webb, the offensive coordinator promoted that season. Petersen wrote that the offense looked vanilla and stalled, with many three-and-outs, and blamed slow play-call delivery to quarterback Bo Nix [2]. The Denver Post's Luca Evans reported that Webb's contract said nothing about play-calling, and the column notes that Payton and the staff had not settled the question [2].

Payton has talked about the job's demands himself. In mid-January, he said that as he gets older, "you still have to be quick" [2]. The column used that remark to argue that the speed of the game had outpaced Payton himself, and that the play calls were slow to reach Nix.

What to watch on Sunday

Three things will show whether the change is working. The first is the first half. Denver scored 13 points in the first halves of Webb's first four games, so any early touchdown would count as progress [3]. The second is the run game. The Broncos averaged 81.3 rushing yards per game under Webb [1], and a better number would take pressure off Nix. The third is Nix himself. His adjusted yards per attempt dropped to 5.8 [3], and a full game against a strong defense will show whether that was a passing problem or a play-calling one.

Denver went from 2-2 to 5-2 in that stretch, three straight wins that make the change look like more than a one-week fix [1]. Kansas City, at 5-1, is the next test, and the Broncos will need the first-half numbers to hold against a team with a similar record [1].