The Broncos got a small measure of revenge on Saturday night against the Rams, beating L.A. 41-0 in the first meeting between the league’s two Wal-Mart family franchises since the Rams destroyed the Broncos on Christmas Day, 51-14.
The strong performance by the Broncos in their first home game under Sean Payton has given Payton plenty to ponder as the roster cuts loom.
“It’s always difficult this time of year,” Payton told reporters after the game. “That hasn’t changed in 16 years for me. I typically meet with every player. I was on the other side of that four times in the preseason. My mom said, ‘You need to start coaching or do something else.’ I think that the dream for so many of these guys is still alive even if it’s not here.”
One of Payton’s concerns is that he’ll write off a player who proves him wrong later.
“You don’t want to lose a player when you had control over it and then have him have success somewhere else,” Payton said. “I credit the players. A lot of guys will make this [decision] challenging with their efforts tonight.”
Again, most teams know most of the players they’ll keep. The challenge comes from projecting how young players could develop, given time and opportunity. Sometimes, it just takes some patience and flexibility.
