Last one left, turn out the lights. Over the past two weeks, the Broncos have lost five coaches. Coach Sean Payton fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, receivers coach Keary Colbert and cornerbacks coach Addison Lynch, and senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael nd secondary coach Jim Leonha rd are headed to Buffalo with promotions to coordinator roles. Those who left are not as important as who remains: Davis Webb. The 2025 Broncos returned to eminence. Without seismic changes on offense, they will lose relevance. The wise guys already view Denver suspiciously, casting them with the 12th-best odds to reach the Super Bowl next February. The reason, beyond a first-place schedule, is simple. The Broncos don’t score enough, don’t scare enough. Payton is a cold evaluator, and indications are he is warming to the idea of relinquishing some of his play-calling duties. It is time. For the Broncos to win a championship, Payton must switch some things up. Co-owner Greg Penner does not take kindly to those who use the boilerplate answer “that is the way we have always done it” as an explanation. Payton operates with a similar philosophy, having shown elasticity in embracing analytics, rest and recovery methods and modern technology. The moment has arrived to make changes to the offense. The sample size is big enough to support the argument. Over his last four seasons as head coach, including 2021 in New Orleans, he has not ranked inside the top 10 in points and yards. It is a jarring new reality. From 2006-2020, Payton’s offense finished inside the top 10 13 times in yards and 11 times in points, including ranking first a combined eight times. He earned his reputation as a brilliant offensive mind, and revered play-caller. Related Articles Broncos’ Bo Nix clap back is why relationship works with Sean Payton | Renck File Renck: Why Ray Bourque raising Stanley Cup should inspire current Avalanche team Renck: If Broncos’ Sean Payton is going to continue to live by the sword, he needs a bigger one Should Nuggets take extra precautions with Nikola Jokic after what happened to Aaron Gordon? Renck: Broncos’ Sean Payton puts blame where it belongs — on himself But Payton can no longer live in the past as an explanation for his role in the future. His candid reflection a few weeks ago hinted as much. “As you get older, you think about all the ramifications. It was said as you get older, maybe you don’t drive in the rain at night. You begin to… I can’t let that happen as a play caller,” Payton said. “That’s something that I have to mentally make sure it’s quick.” Calling plays has become a younger man’s game. And Payton has an obvious asset in-house. He cannot let Webb leave. He must make him offensive coordinator. In three short years, Webb, who played in the NFL as recently as 2022, has forged a reputation as an offensive wizard, and quarterback whisperer. He received a promotion to passing game coordinator last offseason when he began to get buzz as a head coaching candidate, as the next Sean McVay. McVay landed the Rams job at age 30. Webb just turned 31. His play-calling experience consists of a preseason game last August. And yet, Payton can show humility and self-awareness as he chases a championship by letting Webb call the plays or at least some of them. Look no further than Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who brought back Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator, and has previously let him call situational plays. Payton could help construct the game plan, clearly a strength, for a team that just produced a 15-4 season, while filling the gas tank with nitromethane. That is what Webb can provide. A bump. A boost. A lift so the offense can match the Broncos’ championship-caliber defense. Of course, there is no guarantee it will work. It comes with risk. It is worth it given how Webb has coached Bo Nix. It is not hard to see Webb incorporating more uptempo, and bootlegs if the run game improves as Payton envisions. Nix has blossomed in his first two seasons, throwing 54 touchdowns with 23 interceptions. He has produced 10 game-winning drives. Is there room for improvement? Of course. And that is why the pairing with Webb is tantalizing. Could it unlock Nix as more of a passing threat in the middle of the field? Will tight end production replace wide receiver screens that are well-intentioned but rarely blocked well? Can it improve the operation by getting the plays in more quickly to Nix? The numbers in the past three seasons have not been good enough by Payton’s standards. Russell Wilson never fit, leaving Denver 19th in points and 26th in yards in 2023. But with Nix, there is clearly meat on the bone: 10th in points and 19th in yards in 2024, and 14th in points and 10th in yards last season. Had J.K. Dobbins not hurt his foot, perhaps this conversation is different. But even then, the Broncos face sobering questions: like what is their running identity? They planned to incorporate more wide zone concepts, but it did not materialize. Denver finished 16th in rushing yards per game and 15th in runs of 10 or more yards, but those came almost exclusively from Dobbins as the final nine games painfully revealed. With Webb in an increased role, whatever that looks like, the Broncos need consistency as much as efficiency. When the playoffs reached eight teams, the Broncos led with 19 scoreless quarters during the season. It was a symptom of a bigger problem. The Broncos went three-and-out on 25% of their possessions, fourth worst. It wasn’t much better in 2024 at 26.3%. And they scored one touchdown in their past two playoff elimination games. Payton need not apologize for the Broncos’ first AFC West title and home postseason win in a decade. Hardly. But even in winning, the Broncos trailed relentlessly, lived dangerously, while posting a 12-3 record in one-score games. That is the kind of number that can flip quickly without improvement (see the 2025 Chiefs and the 2023 Minnesota Vikings). The Broncos will add multiple offensive staffers this offseason. But the solution to their problems is already in the building. It’s time for Payton to pass the torch and the play sheet to Webb. Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams. ...read more read less