Sean Payton on decisions in AFC title game: 'There's always regrets'

Sean Payton will not make history this season by winning a Super Bowl with two different franchises as a head coach after the Denver Broncos fell to the New England Patriots, 10–7, in the AFC championship on Sunday.

Payton has faced criticism for a key second-quarter decision to go for it on 4th-and-1 rather than attempt a short field goal that could have extended Denver’s lead to 10–0. Despite playing with backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, the Broncos were able to move the ball effectively in the first half, but that moment proved to be a turning point, something Payton acknowledged after the game.

“I just felt we had momentum,” he added. “To go up 14, it felt like we had a good call. I think the feeling was let’s be aggressive. I was just watching the way our defense was playing.

“There’s always regrets. There will always be second thoughts.”

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Neither offense adjusted well once blizzard-like conditions swept into Mile High, turning the game into a defensive struggle. Payton admitted after the game that the weather limited the types of plays he was comfortable calling for Stidham.

“There were certain throws, though, that we weren’t gonna call,” he said.

Payton said Stidham competed under difficult circumstances but acknowledged that the team — himself included — did not perform well, with the defense being the lone exception.

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“I thought (Stidham) fought hard in tough conditions,” Payton said. “We’re gonna look at the film. I know this, I’m gonna look at it and be critical of myself. There were a number of things that we just had to do better. We didn’t finish some runs. We dropped some passes again — I felt like that was a problem all year.”

The Broncos were second in the NFL this season in dropped passes at 43.

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• Why Jarrett Stidham's controversial fumble should have resulted in a Patriots defensive touchdown

• Where should the blame go after Broncos drop AFC Championship Game to Patriots?