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(Editor\u2019s note:<\/strong>\u00a0This is excerpted from\u00a0Mike Sando\u2019s Pick Six<\/a> of Dec. 18, 2023.)<\/em><\/p>\n Sean Payton blasting quarterback<\/a> Russell Wilson<\/a> on the sideline, then suggesting he was merely upset about officiating, invited all sorts of speculation.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to fault Payton for losing his cool when officials wiped out a Broncos<\/a> touchdown with an offensive offside call that seemed indefensible. As one former head coach put it, officials have \u201clost their minds\u201d searching for penalties associated with Philadelphia\u2019s tush-push plays<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s just difficult to understand why Payton would funnel any of that rage toward his quarterback.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n GO DEEPER<\/p>\n Sean Payton downplays sideline flare up with Russell Wilson<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The nature of Payton\u2019s relationship with Wilson faded into the background during a five-game winning streak fueled by opponent turnovers<\/a>. With Denver losing two of its past three, including 42-17 at Detroit<\/a> on Saturday, tensions appear to be flaring again. The subject is captivating because the Broncos must decide after the season whether to fully guarantee another $37 million in Wilson\u2019s contract.<\/p>\n A search through Payton\u2019s in-season media sessions turned up a couple of mildly positive sentences regarding the quarterback he inherited, but not much. It doesn\u2019t necessarily mean coach and quarterback are headed for divorce, but Payton seems fine letting the public wonder, a departure from how he treated Drew Brees during his New Orleans tenure.<\/p>\n Some of this could simply be an old-school approach to motivation and control. But the disdain Payton showed for Wilson early in the season<\/a> and again on the sideline Saturday appeared pointed.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s possible Wilson suggested Payton should have initiated a replay challenge or should have gone for it on fourth down instead of trying a field goal, inviting an angry reaction from Payton, two coaches familiar with Wilson\u2019s\u2019 tenure in Seattle offered another possibility. They noted that Wilson changed plays in Seattle to get himself into a rhythm, and that if he had changed Payton\u2019s plays during the drive in question, the coach could have been delivering a forceful verdict.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think Sean is beholden to anyone there,\u201d another coach said, \u201cso he is going to let everyone know when he\u2019s pissed. He just wasn\u2019t very pissed all the time in New Orleans. They were winning.\u201d<\/p>\n (Photo: RJ Sangosti \/ MediaNews Group \/ The Denver Post via Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThe Football 100,\u201d the definitive ranking of the NFL<\/a>\u2019s best 100 players of all time, is on sale now. Order it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n