The Denver Broncos’ 10-7 AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots has focused scrutiny squarely on one early moment: Sean Payton’s choice to go for it on fourth‑and‑1 from New England’s 14-yard line with Denver already leading 7-0 in a blizzard.
Instead of taking what would have been a field goal that later could have forced overtime, the Broncos called a rollout pass for backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham that ended in an interception. The Broncos never scored again. Among those weighing in is Super Bowl champion safety and ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, who supported the aggression but ripped the specific play design as failing to match the high-stakes decision.
Ryan Clark Gives Brutal Assessment Of Sean Payton’s Calls vs. Patriots
Clark’s first point on ESPN’s First Take was that the decision to go for it, in context, made football sense given the weather and New England’s offensive struggles. He laid out why a 14-point cushion would have been overwhelming. “I love the aggression by Sean Payton, I think it’s the right call,” Clark argued during a segment on First Take.
“If you go up on the New England Patriots by 14 points. They ain’t scoring 14. If you think about not getting it, do you believe they can drive 85 yards and score a touchdown? Do you believe they’ll even get 50 and kick a field goal? You don’t, and they didn’t.”
Denver’s defense ultimately held the Patriots to 10 points. The issue, in Clark’s view, was how the Broncos tried to get the one yard.
Clark then drew a sharp distinction between the decision and the call sheet. To him, the choice to stay on the field on fourth down required a call that fit what the situation demanded in heavy snow with a backup quarterback.
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Instead, Denver went to a rollout concept that relied on protection and timing. “I just feel like he made a grown man decision with a little boy mindset,” Clark said.
“That’s not the play. The play to get 4th and 1 should be a play of physicality, should be a play where you give yourself some sort of creativity. This was one of the more easily dissected plays in Sean Payton’s playbook. And his playbook is extremely deep.”
On the field, Stidham was immediately chased off his spot, never had time to find Lil’Jordan Humphrey breaking open past the sticks, and threw the interception that erased a scoring chance.
The margins were incredibly fine on the night against the Patriots. Payton reportedly adjusted the call before the snap, and the protection breakdown meant the play never stood a chance, even though film showed a receiver open at the first‑down marker if time had allowed.
The Broncos’ defense continued to keep New England in check, but Denver’s offense failed to add to their 7-0 lead, and a late Patriots touchdown flipped the game.
