​Sean Payton has always carried a taste for the dramatic in Denver. From parading a Brinks truck loaded with cash and a shiny Lombardi Trophy into the locker room to spark a playoff push, to handing out ice cream to the media at season’s end, Payton consistently arrives with an ace tucked away in his sleeve. In a recent ESPN piece by Seth Wickersham that chronicled the Broncos’ 2026 playoff run, it emerged that Payton had sketched out what looked like the perfect play against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round: a fake punt.
Wickersham wrote that Payton watched 71 fake punts hoping to find one he could adapt. One scheme, dubbed Rutgers Special, was modified from a 2019 Raiders play and named after Broncos fullback Michael Burton, a Scarlet Knights alumnus. In another concept, Denver’s punter threw an outside pass to Buffalo’s Ja’Marcus Ingram. Payton had targeted Ingram after learning he had missed a practice that week because of the birth of his first child. The play was labeled Baby Shower and was designed to be used in the second quarter for a first down in the 2024 playoffs.
The timing was precise. The article noted: “When the Broncos are facing fourth down late, up by a few points, Payton knew that if he punts to Allen, the game is over. The Bills wouldn’t expect a fake punt under those circumstances.” After the game, Wickersham observed that almost every Denver play had been called or scrapped, save for Rutgers Special. Payton then dropped a bombshell: “We called it,” he recalled, “When?” asked Wickersham. “Fourth-and-11,” Payton responded. It seemed almost impossible, but Rutgers Special—intended for overtime—was on the table for a fourth-and-11 moment. Payton explained that they had the right look.
According to Wickersham, the Broncos’ special teams unit did not execute the attempt as planned. The play was thwarted when the return wasn’t called, and Payton later admitted he was furious, insisting the design was perfect. Separately, Mike Klis of 9News reported that running back Tyler Badie had pulled the plug on the fake before the snap. In the end, the audible from the Broncos’ own 38-yard line—a punt—produced a 55-yard boot by rookie punter Jeremy Crawshaw, pinning the Bills inside the 10-yard line. That field position helped set up Ja’Quan McMillian’s overtime interception, a play that sealed Denver’s fate and kept the dream alive.
The decision to punt in that moment became a defining moment of Payton’s playoff approach. He later lauded Crawshaw’s punt as the “punt of the year.” It’s a reminder of Payton’s willingness to risk a bold, even controversial move in pursuit of victory. This is the same coach known for a high-stakes surprise onside kick during a Super Bowl era that helped hoist the Saints to their first championship. The Rutgers Special concept, with its audacious flair, remains a talking point—an emblem of Payton’s willingness to push the envelope in search of a game-changing moment.
Whether or not Rutgers Special ever makes another real appearance, Payton’s penchant for dramatic, high-leverage decisions is part and parcel of his identity as a coach who never shies away from a bold call. The 2026 playoff run reinforced that reputation: a mind always calculating, always daring, and always ready to pull a rabbit out of the hat when the stakes are at their highest.