Did Sean Payton's Play-Calling Debut Move the Broncos Up in NFL Power Rankings?

The Denver Broncos rallied past the winless Chargers in Sean Payton's first game calling plays. Two outlets moved them up, and the other two didn't budge.

by Neal Coolong

Oct 13, 2026

The Denver Broncos rallied past the winless Chargers in Sean Payton's first game calling plays. Two outlets moved them up, and the other two didn't budge.

Gary A&period; Vasquez-Imagn Images

Sean Payton took over the play-calling from Davis Webb last week. The Denver Broncos’ offense didn’t look much different Sunday, but they still rallied to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 23-17 at SoFi Stadium.

Bo Nix was 16 of 27 for 123 yards and a touchdown pass. The defense took over in the fourth quarter, when Zach Allen forced a fumble on a strip-sack and Brandon Jones intercepted Justin Herbert on fourth down, according to the Associated Press. Those two bailed out the offense on a day Denver was missing Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss.

So did the new play-caller move the needle? Two of the four rankings we track bumped Denver up after the win, and two left the Broncos right where they were.

CBS Sports

This week’s ranking: 8
Last week’s ranking: 11

Pete Prisco gave Denver its biggest bump, three spots, but didn’t credit the play-calling change. He wrote that the switch to Payton didn’t change things in a big way and put it on the quarterback: “Bo Nix has to be better.”

That’s become a weekly theme. Denver keeps winning, but its quarterback concerns are getting harder to explain away.

Fox Sports

This week’s ranking: 7
Last week’s ranking: 8

Ralph Vacchiano has the Broncos highest of the four after a one-spot bump, though he called the offense a mess. His complaints were that Nix still struggles in the first three quarters and the running backs aren’t giving him anything. He credited the defense and Payton’s ability to keep the team sharp late in games.

Vacchiano also noted the Broncos lead the NFL with eight fourth-quarter comeback wins since the start of 2025, three of them this season.

Sports Illustrated

This week’s ranking: 9
Last week’s ranking: 9

Conor Orr held Denver at No. 9 and said he cares far less about who calls the plays than about defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who he thinks gets no credit. Orr pointed out that 10 of Denver’s 14 regular-season wins last season came when the defense held opponents to 20 points or fewer, and two of the three wins this year fit the same pattern.

Joseph is doing it shorthanded in the secondary, too. With Surtain and Moss out, the snap counts show Jahdae Barron locked in as an every-down corner.

ESPN

This week’s ranking: 10
Last week’s ranking: 10

ESPN’s panel didn’t move Denver, and Jeff Legwold’s concern is tackling. The Broncos missed 19 tackles in the opener and three more on Kimani Vidal’s 42-yard touchdown run Sunday, he wrote. After allowing the second-fewest yards per game last season, Denver ranks 22nd this year.

The Broncos host the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday at 8:15 p.m. ET.