It’s been three years since Sean Payton was the New Orleans Saints head coach. Payton retired for a year then came back after a year hiatus to coach the Denver Broncos. The former Saints head coach is already experiencing more success than his former team.

The Bengals did play the overtime period without starting running back Chase Brown, who suffered an ankle sprain during the fourth quarter. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow broke his own franchise single-season record for passing yardage with his 31-yard toss to Tee Higgins to set up a game-winning touchdown pass to Higgins.

Sean Payton is creating an identity in Denver as a fearless leader who embraces the spotlight, and Saturday represents a chance for him to put his own mark on the franchise.

The Denver Broncos only needed a win or a tie on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals to clinch their first playoff appearance since the 2015 season. They ended up getting neither, and head coach Sean Payton is one of the biggest culprits in their failure to do so.