Broncos’ HC Sean Payton is speaking out about a post-game incident involving Panthers CB Jaycee Horn

The Denver Broncos stomped the Carolina Pantheron Sunday 28-14. The home team’s margin of victory could have been much greater had the Broncos not turned the ball over late in the game.

The final shot showed Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn jawing at Broncos head coach Sean Payton near midfield, where the post-game handshakes take place. Horn’s complaint? That Payton was trying to “run up the score.”

Payton could be seen firing back at Horn as he made his way to shake hands with Panthers head coach Dave Canales.

Onstage after the match, Payton addressed the heated exchange with Horn.

“I coached his father (former New Orleans Saints receiver Joe Horn),” Payton said of Horn. “So I yelled back at him. I don’t know what the exchange was, but I enjoyed coaching his dad. He was frustrated, I think he yelled at one of our other players. I like him, he’s a good player.” ”

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don’t miss news and analysis! Take a moment, sign up for our free newsletter and get the latest Broncos news delivered to your inbox every day!

Horn’s sensitivity was understandable, but for what it’s worth, Canales didn’t seem fazed after Payton pulled off a few tricks to tighten the screws and keep the offensive pedal to the metal. However, it only gave the Broncos seven points in the second half. Some may attribute Payton’s aggressiveness to his longstanding rivalry with the Panthers during all those years in Carolina.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if it had more to do with Canales’ second-quarter decision to go for it on 4th-&-2 after Payton turned down an offensive holding penalty on third down. Carolina’s fourth down attempt would be blown up by Patrick Surtain II, and a turnover on downs ensued, but Payton denied the previous penalty instead of setting up Canales for a 3rd-&-12.

It was a Josh McDaniels-esque move. The Broncos took over on downs and made Canales pay for thumbing his nose at Payton by driving 48 yards and scoring a one-yard Bo Nix touchdown to end the first half.

Canales responded in kind, giving the go-ahead for a trick play of his own after a failed throw from punter Johnny Hekker, who passed on fourth down. After all, Turnabout is fair play.

Payton also wasn’t kind in his rhetoric about the Panthers after the game. proverb“It’s not a good attack we played. It’s just the truth.”

Payton would also state the obvious, even if it wasn’t the greatest display of sportsmanship.

“We’re going to be in bigger games than this one,” Payton said after the game, looking ahead to next week’s tilt at the Baltimore Ravenswhich will be followed by another road race at the Kansas City Chiefsbefore returning home to get the Atlanta Falcons. All three opponents are plus-.500.

Ultimately, competition brings out the fire in men. And we saw that in the midfield exchange between Horn and Payton after the game, and in the way both head coaches behaved strategically during the action.

Charge it in the game.

Follow Denver Broncos on SI/Mile High Huddle X And Facebook and subscribe on YouTube for daily Broncos livestream podcasts!