NFL legend criticizes coaches’ aggressiveness on fourth down after Sean Payton’s costly decision in Broncos loss
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Super Bowl champion Michael Strahan said he doesn’t understand coaches who go for fourth down all the time.
Strahan, 54, lamented that Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton tried to make it on fourth down when the Broncos were up 7-0 early in their loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game on Sunday.
“I thought Denver should have kicked that field goal, gone up and gotten the points,” Strahan said during a recent appearance on “New Heights.”
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Michael Strahan plays the second hole before the 2025 Ryder Cup on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, on September 24, 2025. (Maneo Villalba/GETTY Images)
“I don’t understand these coaches now, because fourth down now is mostly an automatic shot. And I understand analysis, but you have to feel the team, you have to feel the situation.”
With the Broncos starting backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham and knowing that weather was going to be a factor later in the game, Strahan wished the Broncos had taken the points and gone up 10-0. Strahan, who played with Payton during his time with the New York Giants, said he felt bad for the coach.
“I felt bad for Sean Payton, because Sean Payton coached me in 2000 or something. I love Sean, and I talked to him the day before the game. (He) had a lot of confidence (in) what they were doing in the playoffs,” Strahan said.
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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton watches during the second half of the AFC championship game against the New England Patriots in Denver, Colorado, on January 25, 2026. (John Locher/AP Photo)
“I felt like I just wanted to take the points, man, take the points. Put pressure on New England, especially on the road, to beat you with a great defense like they have.”
Strahan also pointed out that the Patriots have a strong defense and when you’re in the red zone, you have to get as many points as you can. If the Broncos had elected to kick the field goal and made it, they would have gone up 10-0.
A two-point advantage, with the weather that ended up arriving in the second half, could have changed the outcome of the game. Strahan thought the Broncos should have won the game.
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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton speaks during a press conference after the AFC championship game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots in Denver, Colorado, on January 25, 2026. (Garrett W. Ellwood/AP Photo)
Instead, the Patriots advanced and will face the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on February 8.
Strahan, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a 15-year career with the Giants, recorded 141½ sacks in 216 games and is considered one of the greatest defensive ends of all time.
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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for News Digital.