Sean Payton's controversial decision looms large after Broncos' loss to Patriots

The Denver Broncos were officially eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday with a 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

The conditions were brutal thanks to inclement weather, and so much so that we could not even see the lines on the field. Mother Nature no doubt made her presence felt in a crucial playoff game.

Despite all that, the AFC title game should have went to overtime, but that was thwarted thanks to a controversial second-quarter decision from Broncos head coach Sean Payton.

In the second quarter with the Broncos facing a fourth-and-1 at the Patriots' 14, the Broncos decided to go for it instead of attempting a field goal and Denver failed to convert on a pass from quarterback Jarrett Stidham to running back RJ Harvey.

Had the Broncos kicked that field goal, the game ultimately would've went to overtime instead of the Patriots winning in regulation.

Of course, there's no guarantee that kicker Will Lutz definitely would've made the kick, but it was a 31-yard chip shot and the attempt would've come before the snowstorm that eventually plagued the contest.

It's always easy to second guess a decision a head coach makes when it doesn't work out, but Payton definitely deserves scrutiny here.

After all, the Broncos should have been taking points any way they could get them with the team operating with a backup quarterback instead of starter Bo Nix.

At the very least, the Broncos should've put the ball into the hands of their rushing attack rather than their backup quarterback in such a big spot.

Payton clearly got too confident after a successful touchdown drive in the first quarter that featured a bomb from Stidham to wide receiver Marvin Mims, but Payton's confidence was clearly misplaced.

Now, the Broncos go into the offseason with multiple "what ifs," one of which is Payton's controversial decision on Sunday.

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