Sean Payton had the fake punt ready. The Broncos never let it happen.
That was one of the more surprising details to come out of Seth Wickersham’s ESPN piece on Denver’s 2026 playoff run, which dug into the Broncos’ AFC divisional win over the Bills and the coach’s appetite for a big swing. Payton, never shy about a gamble, had spent time studying fake punts and landed on a call he believed could catch Buffalo off guard.
Wickersham wrote that Payton “watched 71 fake punts, looking for one to adopt and adapt.” One of them became “Rutgers Special,” a variation on a 2019 Raiders play that Payton named for Broncos fullback Michael Burton, who graduated from Rutgers.
Another was “Baby Shower,” a play involving Denver’s punter throwing an outside pass on Buffalo’s Ja’Marcus Ingram after Payton learned Ingram had missed a practice that week because of the birth of his first child. That one was used in the second quarter for a first down.
The bigger surprise was when Payton wanted to use Rutgers Special. The article said the play was meant for a late fourth-down situation with Denver up a few points, the kind of moment when Buffalo would be expecting a routine punt. Instead, Payton said he actually dialed it up in overtime.
“We called it,” he says.
“When,” asked Wickersham.
“Fourth-and-11,” Payton replied.
Payton’s answer made the whole thing sound even more outrageous. The Broncos had the right look, he said, but the special teams unit shut it down before the snap.
“I was so pissed,” Payton said, per Wickersham. “It was perfect.”
Denver ended up punting from its own 38-yard line, and the decision worked out. Rookie punter Jeremy Crawshaw blasted a 55-yard punt that pinned the Bills inside the 10, setting up the field position that eventually led to Ja’Quan McMillian’s overtime interception. Payton called Crawshaw’s kick the “punt of the year.”
None of this should shock anyone who has followed Payton’s career. He’s the same coach who called a surprise onside kick in the second half of a Super Bowl, a move that helped carry the New Orleans Saints to their first title.
So yes, Rutgers Special was there, loaded and waiting. It just never got its moment.
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