NFL Coach: Sean Payton Calling Broncos Games 'Almost as If Russell Is a Rookie QB'

The Denver Broncos may have won five straight games, but not everyone is sold on their ascent.

One defensive coach told Mike Sando of The Athletic that Sean Payton does not trust Russell Wilson to run his full gameplan and has instead been treating him like a "rookie quarterback."

"Sean is calling the game almost as if Russell is a rookie quarterback," the coach said. "Basically, it's run, run and if he's not throwing it either one or two in a progression, he can scramble, which plays to his strengths. I hate to use this term, but he's a game manager. He's a very good one, too."

Wilson threw for 134 yards and one touchdown in Sunday's 29-12 win over the Cleveland Browns as Denver pounded the ball on the ground. The Broncos ran the ball 39 times for 169 yards while Wilson only made 22 pass attempts.

Wilson has been solid but unspectacular all season playing the role of a game manager, throwing for 2,199 yards and 20 touchdowns against four interceptions. His ability to avoid making mistakes has helped Denver stay in games, but the big plays in the passing game have been few and far between. Wilson is averaging a career-low 6.9 yards per attempt despite completing 68.3 percent of his passes, the second-best mark of his career.

Payton offenses have long been reliant on short passes—especially in the latter portion of Drew Brees' career—but Brees was perhaps the most accurate quarterback in NFL history. The downgrade to Wilson has made the passing scheme less effective, and thus Payton has put more emphasis on the run.

The results have been mostly positive. Denver is tied for the NFL's longest win streak at five games and is tied with the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans for the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC.