Broncos coach Sean Payton on scuffles: Get to the edge, but don’t cross the line

Sean Payton wants passionate players, but he doesn’t want that passion to turn into penalties. “Get to the edge, but not cross the line.”

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Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton wants to cut down the number of penalties the team committed in 2022 before Payton joined the team. To be a disciplined team on Sundays in the fall, Broncos players need to show discipline at practice on Monday-Saturday practices during the summer.

If they’re going to avoid fighting with opponents on game days, Denver’s players have to learn to not fight each other at practice, something that happens nearly every training camp.

“The message is we have to understand what we are trying to accomplish as a team,” Payton said on June 14. “It’s always the challenge for the [offensive] and [defensive] linemen. We also have to be able to understand — discipline-wise — how to get to the edge, but not cross the line.

“Games come up — we saw it last year [in] a playoff run; I referenced the Cincinnati Bengals’ penalty late [in the AFC Championship Game]. You have to train yourself mentally to get onto the next play. That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing.”

The Broncos committed 113 penalties last year, the second-highest total in the NFL — Denver was an undisciplined team in 2022. Payton aims to change that in 2023.

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