During the week, Sean Payton harshly criticised his predecessor, among others. The new head coach of the Denver Broncos now regrets this

It seems Sean Payton went a little too far verbally: The head coach of the Denver Broncos has rowed back after his harsh criticism during the week.

“I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox hat on and not my coaching hat,” said Payton, who was an NFL analyst for the network last season.

Earlier in an interview with USA Today Sports, Payton went on a full-on rant, taking aim at predecessor Nathaniel Hackett: “Obviously, a lot of people share the blame for last year’s performance, but the coaching staff’s performance was one of the worst I’ve ever seen in NFL history (…) Everything I’ve heard about last year… we’re going to do the opposite. “

Payton also took those at the top of the franchise to task. That quarterback Russell Wilson was allowed to have his personal trainers on Broncos property was not the playmaker’s fault, Payton directed the blame “at the head coach, the GM (George Paton), the president (Damani Leech) and everybody else who watched all of this,” Payton said.

Payton: “Need more restraint “

Now he’s trying to put out the fire. “It was obviously a mistake,” Payton now admitted: “I need a bit more filter. I said what I said, and obviously I need a little more restraint. And I regret that.”

The front office and the owners were the two reasons he came to the Broncos, Payton said. “George and I are close. I was concerned about the whole organisation, not just one person.”

What the longtime Saints coach still stands by, however, is the objective: anything less than making the playoffs would be a bitter disappointment.

“I’m not afraid of the expectation. Even though you’re used to fighting for the postseason, you don’t take it for granted. But that mentality has to be here. I think this team has the ability to do that. It’s our job to bring it out,” Payton said.