Broncos couch offensive shakeup as more "collaboration"

Potato, potahto. Tomato, tomahto.

With the word out that Broncos coach Sean Payton has reclaimed the play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Davis Webb for Sunday’s game against the Chargers, multiple reports are couching it more innocuously than that.

Adam Schefter of ESPN says that the Broncos “are taking a more collaborative play-calling approach this week,” and that Payton will have “an increased role in the process.” Schefter adds that Webb will continue to have a “significant game-planning and game-day role.”

Schefter’s colleagues at ESPNFL have gotten the same phone call and/or text message from the 303 area code. They say that Payton “will be more heavily involved in offensive play-calling this week,” that the “process will remain collaborative,” and that Webb will continue to be “a major voice on game day & during the week.”

Jonathan Jones of The Athletic comes closer to calling it what it is. Jones says Payton “will be much more involved in offensive play-calling,” that collaboration “will continue,” but that “Payton is taking back the majority of the reins after 4 weeks.”

Here’s the key. Watch the game on Sunday. Look at who’s holding the play sheet and talking into the headset between the end of one play and the start of the next one.

For four games, it was Webb. On Sunday, it will be Payton.

Unless Payton masters the ancient art of ventriloquism over the next three days.

So why the soft pedaling? Payton surely doesn’t want to embarrass Webb publicly. Regardless, Payton is doing what he needs to do to get more out of the offense before the prospect of winning the division and possibly securing the No. 1 seed for the second straight year slips out of Denver’s grasp.