Overview
- Denver opened the season with a 31-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, producing 176 total yards, 3.7 yards per play, and key third-down failures that stalled drives.
- Sean Payton announced in February that offensive coordinator Davis Webb would be the team’s primary play-caller and Webb sent plays to quarterback Bo Nix in the opener.
- Preseason auditions and strong preseason numbers led Payton to hand the role to Webb after grooming him in 2025, including a 562-yard preseason game that earned Webb praise.
- Hours after the loss, national analysts and many fans publicly urged reversing the experiment and suggested Payton could resume play-calling, though the team has made no official change.
- The decision matters for players and staff because Payton remains heavily involved and could intervene at any time, so the coming weeks will show whether the handoff was sustainable or needs quick adjustment.