Sean Payton didn’t hide from the mess after the Broncos’ rough night, but he also didn’t pin it on one person. Asked about offensive coordinator Davis Webb’s playcalling, Payton said he’d evaluate Webb like anyone else on the staff and made it clear the problems went far beyond one set of calls.
“Obviously not a great evening. Didn’t do a lot well at all in the game,” Payton said, via Pro Football Talk.
“That starts with me; that starts with our coaching staff. I thought they won, really, in every phase.”
He went on to describe the frustration that comes with a game like that, whether he’s the one dialing up the plays or not.
“As a head coach, always, whether you’re calling the plays or not - regardless of who’s calling the plays, when you have a game like that, and you’re the head coach, it’s frustrating, it’s disappointing. I don’t know that the feeling is any different whether you’re calling them or not, honestly,” Payton added.
“Our third down numbers weren’t good, our rushing numbers weren’t good, pick your spot,” Payton said. “Lot of long yardage, lot of throws, not enough runs.”
Payton also addressed the reports that some assistant coaches reached out to former QB Drew Brees last year when QB Bo Nix was injured in the playoffs. His answer was blunt: he didn’t know anything about it at the time.
“I just know I was the odd man out. I never heard anything about it.
So it never came to anything. I was only told about it later.”
In Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes said his own Week 1 moment came on the ground. After questions about whether he’d look like himself right away, Mahomes said a touchdown run helped him feel like the work was paying off.
“Physically, I think that’s the moment,” Mahomes said. “I want to get some of these passes down the field a little bit more - I think that’ll help me out mentally and kinda get back in the rhythm of things.
That was definitely the moment, physically, to say all this work has paid off. I didn’t feel anything.
It’s still a process, I got to still keep getting better and better, but this is obviously a great first week.”
And in Las Vegas, Maxx Crosby had one of those first-week returns that carries a little extra weight. Crosby took the field for the Raiders for the first time since the organization traded him to the Ravens and then got him back after the deal was voided. He has said he’s moved on from the trade request, and Week 1 gave him a fresh start in front of the home crowd.
“It was a little extra special today, for sure,” said Crosby via USA Today’s Levi Damien. “Just seeing the response, seeing the 98s in the crowd and stuff.
I don’t ever take that for granted, you know what I mean? I’ve come a long way from, you know, all the way from Eastern Michigan, you know what I mean?
And we had 12-15,000 people in the crowd and getting to see a bunch of kids and grown men and grown women with my jersey on. I don’t take that for granted at all.
So I work so hard and I want to be able to set an example for my teammates and this organization to be something that people are proud to watch and get behind. So, yeah, man, it was definitely special and a great start to the year.”
In Other News...
Kwity Paye Is Already Changing What Raiders Can Do Up Front
Kwity Payes first game with the Raiders gave Las Vegas something it has been looking for up front: another defender who can make the quarterback uncomfortable without needing everything to run through Maxx Crosby. Paye showed up across the stat sheet with sacks, quarterback hits, pressures, tackles and stops, and the bigger takeaway was how quickly he fit into a role that asks him to work alongside Crosby rather than simply chase production on his own.
That pairing matters because Paye also brings versatility, lining up in multiple spots and giving the Raiders more ways to shape their front. For a defense that already leans on Crosby to tilt protections and dictate attention, having another edge presence who can move around changes the way opponents have to prepare. It is early, but the first impression was enough to suggest Las Vegas may have found a front-seven piece that opens up more options than the box score alone can show. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Just Got Early AFC West Hope Few Fans Expected
The Raiders opened the 2026 season with a home win over the Dolphins, and that alone would have been enough to leave Las Vegas feeling better about itself after the summer buildup. What made the first Sunday even more interesting for the AFC West race was the way the rest of the division shook out, with the Chargers falling to the Cardinals while the Chiefs handled the Broncos.
For a fan base that has spent plenty of time looking up at Kansas City, the early standings offered an unusual bit of breathing room. It is only Week 1, of course, and the division still runs through the Chiefs, but the Raiders at least got the kind of start that can keep hope alive longer than most people expected. [Read more 🡒]
Kirk Cousins Just Gave Raiders Fans Real Hope At Quarterback
The Raiders had plenty of questions at quarterback when they brought in veteran Kirk Cousins to serve as the bridge while rookie Fernando Mendoza develops into the long-term answer. In Week 1, Cousins helped settle things down by guiding Las Vegas to a win over the Miami Dolphins, and the bigger takeaway was not just the result but the way he kept the offense on schedule with steady, sustained drives.
For a team staring at a difficult stretch ahead, that kind of competence matters. The plan has been straightforward from the start, with Cousins expected to provide solid play for part of the season while Mendoza gets his footing, but early wins have a way of changing the temperature around a season and making the quarterback conversation feel a little less settled than it did in the summer. [Read more 🡒]