SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It’s hard to miss Sean Payton on the Broncos’ sideline, especially if you happen to wear black and white stripes during the game.
Payton might have missed coaching, but he said Saturday he wished he didn’t have to chew on the officiating crew’s collective ear about an end-of-half situation.
Denver quarterback Jarrett Stidham hit receiver Jalen Virgil for a 50-yard gain to the 1-yard line. Though he was close to the end zone, he was ruled short of the goal line with about 15 seconds to play. The Broncos had no timeouts, and Virgil injured his knee on the play. He was helped up to get lined up, but by the time Stidham snapped the ball again and spiked it, the officials ruled the game clock had run out and sent the teams to the halftime locker room.
Payton, miffed at the sequence, barked at the line judge and the umpire on his way off the field.
“I was a little disappointed at the end of the half. I thought we had time left; obviously they thought we didn’t,” Payton said. “It’s pretty easy to get right and I thought they missed it, but it is what is.”
Asked if he thought they should have reviewed the play, Payton said the crew told him they did.
“Yeah. Man, it happened super fast for them,” he said dryly. “Don’t know what time flights are leaving tonight.”
This is all part of the fun of being back on the sideline, though, right?
“I don’t enjoy when we can’t get a simple end-of-half situation officiated correctly, so no, I don’t (enjoy it),” he said. “I like being friendly with those guys, but man. Then we’ve got a substitution. If you sub on offense, the defense has a chance to make a substitution. There’s a sub that takes place on the touchdown pass at the end of the game, and they’re right at the line of scrimmage.
“It’s preseason for the officials just like it is for us.”
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