Broncos Camp: Biggest Differences Between Payton & Hackett's Approach
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Denver Broncos training camp has been in full swing, starting on July 28. With seven practices in the books and Sean Payton at the helm, there’s a clear shift in tone at into training camp from just one season ago.
There are already a few noticeable factors that weren’t present in 2022 that will shape the 2023 fate of the Broncos. Let’s take a look back at the game plan ex-head coach Nathaniel Hackett had for training camp in 2022 and analyze what changes Payton has made.
What it Was
In 2022, Hackett was given the keys to the castle as a first-time head coach. His philosophy of 'walk/jog through' days was a daring concept. Hackett believed that these lighter days would ensure that players received ample time to recover and digest the new systems put in place by the coaching staff.
This ideology was paired with holding back the majority of starters from competing in the preseason. Preservation was the name of the game, but the relaxed approach led to a significant glitch.
While getting reps in on the practice field can help build chemistry, it pales in comparison to live game action. With Russell Wilson taking the reigns of the offense in his first year separated from Seattle, Hackett simply couldn’t afford to fumble away essential opportunities to build chemistry between his quarterback and pass-catchers.
Denying the Broncos' players those opportunities led to a multitude of problems that contributed heavily to the derailing of the 2022 season. Wilson was uncharacteristically inaccurate, the timing between him and his receivers was spotty, and the team broke the huddle with 10 seconds or less left on the play clock, leaving no time for adjustments.
Even Denver's tackling on defense was sloppy and uninspired due, in large part, to Hackett's lackadaisical approach to training camp and the preseason. The cherry on top was the insurmountable number of injuries, which went on to total 21 players on injured reserve.
Preservation became destruction, and the Broncos castle fell in royal fashion.
What's Changed
This year is already looking different in the preparation phase. Payton won’t implement jog-through days but rather more live periods throughout camp.
The idea is to help build a collective callous to ensure players are acclimated to taking hits after no contact during the offseason. Payton will also provide his starters with reps during the preseason to build the chemistry that was so obviously lacking last season.
One-on-one drills were omitted from last year's curriculum, but Payton won't make the same mistake, as they are a great isolated test for players to practice specific moves and techniques for positions spanning the entire roster.
An underrated addition to Payton's schedule is the conditioning sessions that have closed out each day of camp. Getting cardio in is a no-brainer, but finishing out practice with players and coaches alike running gassers is the kind of hard work this team needs to push through the war of attrition that is the NFL season.
The Takeaway
The 'Payton Way' of training camp is the complete opposite of last year's debacle. No more lax walkthroughs with starters kicking their feet up in the preseason like it's Club Med. This is Payton’s hard-nosed approach to preparing his team for the long, arduous 17-game season.
It's precisely the reality check this franchise needs.
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