Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton came under scrutiny after he called a double pass to Courtland Sutton on 3rd-and-1 against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday.
After an eventual (ugly) 10-7 win, Payton was asked about that play call.
“Yes, listen, it is a play we’ve had up,” Payton said. “It’s short yardage, so it’s a misdirect. We’ve called this before. They did a good job peeling on the running back, and so when it works, it looks great. And Courtland was smart, not throwing it. That’s exactly what happened.”
On the play, quarterback Bo Nix threw the ball backward to Sutton, who looked like he was supposed to throw it downfield. Sutton faced pressure, though, and he opted to be tackled behind the line instead of forcing the ball into coverage.
I have seen some strange 3rd and 1 calls but this one… pic.twitter.com/dObpwPvE59
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) November 7, 2025
After holding on to win, the Broncos improved to 8-2. They have the best record in the NFL going into Sunday’s slate of games.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: Sean Payton explains 3rd-and-1 play call vs. Raiders
