ENFIELD, U.K. — The coach matched the mouth.
It was the fourth quarter at Philadelphia, Bo Nix had just found Evan Engram for a touchdown, and the Broncos trailed 17-16 with 7:43 remaining. Sean Payton regained his taste for danger, ordering onions.
In the biggest moment, he called his best play, a flat route strike to Troy Franklin for a two-point conversion.
“I was surprised he did it,” veteran right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “And I loved it.”
In an instant, his offseason bravado and chest-thumping interviews with national reporters made sense.
This is why the Broncos owners shelled out $20 million per year to lure Payton to Denver.