A day after their season ended with a 10-7 loss to the Patriots in the AFC title game, the Broncos have fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
This closes out a three-year tenure in Denver for Lombardi and ends a long-running partnership with head coach Sean Payton. Lombardi previously coached under Payton in New Orleans from 2007-13 and 2016-20. He was the Saints’ quarterbacks coach for the majority of his 12 years with the team.
Also a former NFL offensive coordinator with the Lions (2014-15) and Chargers (2021-22), Lombardi took on a non-play-calling role in Denver. Payton has continued to handle those duties. The Broncos did not rank among the league’s cream-of-the-crop offenses in any seasons with Lombardi on the staff, though, and Payton has decided to make a change heading into the third year of quarterback Bo Nix‘s career.
The Broncos are coming off a season in which they finished a respectable 10th in yards, but they were closer to middle of the pack in scoring (14th). Losing running back J.K. Dobbins to a season-ending Lisfranc injury in mid-November didn’t help matters.
Over 10 games and 153 carries, Dobbins hummed along on 5.0 yards per attempt. Second-round rookie RJ Harvey stepped in as the Broncos’ primary back after Dobbins’ injury, but despite notching seven rushing touchdowns, he averaged a meager 3.7 yards on 146 tries. Harvey’s production went backward in the postseason, a pair of games in which he ran for just 57 yards on 19 carries.
Thanks largely to a premier defense that led the league in sacks, the Broncos went 14-3, ended the Chiefs’ nine-year run atop the AFC West and earned the No. 1 seed in the conference. The Broncos then got past the Bills in a 33-30 overtime shootout in the divisional round, but Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury late in the game.
With Nix out of commission, the Broncos had to turn to backup Jarrett Stidham as their starter against the Patriots. Stidham looked good early and completed a 52-yard first-quarter pass to Marvin Mims that set up a touchdown, but the Broncos didn’t score again after that. On a day in which the weather dramatically swung during a snowy second half, Stidham went 17 of 31 for 133 yards, a TD, an interception and a costly fumble. The Broncos amassed just 181 total yards.
Had Nix been available Sunday, there’s a good chance the Broncos would be preparing to face the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX. Instead, though, the Broncos are done for the year and shaking up their coaching staff. More changes could be in store, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who mentions the possibility of the Broncos eventually promoting pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb to replace Lombardi. For now, Webb is a candidate to become the Raiders’ next head coach. They interviewed Webb for the second time on Monday.
Was he the one who told Payton not to kick that field goal?
Right, strange fire.
My guess is it clears out a spot to promote Webb. Nothing of value was lost without Lombardi who should probably be in his senior assistant phase of his career by now since he’s failed a few times as a primary play caller and isn’t bringing anything fresh to the table for an older coach like Payton.
Yes, agreed. This has only been done to promote Webb, who has been interviewed by quite a few teams.
Thing is, unless Denver totally regresses under him as a coordinator, he’s probably getting interviewed again next year, so it’s probably temporary anyway.
No, but besides Webb promotion he could have been the one that leaked Payton saying the week prior about how Bears should have kicked fg.
Creating room for a Davis Webb promotion?
This
@Oooof. Exactly the reason. Lombardi is a starter OC for a young QB like roman. You promote Webb, and keep him in the organization you can find a Lombardi replacement if Webb leaves next year or in two.
It must be and it’s exactly what I’ve been hoping would happen!
Now Vance Joseph needs to get hired soon as a HC somewhere, so we can promote Jim Leonhard to DC and keep him in house too!
Heard a report that Leonard was going to Buffalo to run their defense
Leonhard leaving to go to the Bills with Brady.
Call me old fashioned, but if I rooted for a contender with one of the best defensive coordinators in football, I would be rooting for him to stay.
Same thing I was thinking.
I guess somebody had to take the fall.
Going to hire Davis Webb
@T3xasmade. Not if Vance gets one of the three available jobs. They will probably block it or let Vance go. Like this situation to keep him in-house.
That ship has sailed. Cardinals zeroing in on LaFleur, Browns is the Browns, and the Raiders is the Raiders. Joseph will be back next year.
Let me guess. Everyone here loved him, and he deserved to keep his job forever despite him sucking in Detroit and San Diego.
if bo nix is healthy, denver probly puts up 17 or 20 on NE and is headed to the SB
That AFC Championship game was a throwback. Low scoring, lots of defense. Bo Nix would’ve needed a miracle finish the way New England played.
Arrogant Payton should fire himself for calling a terrible game and not taking the points. He’s always had the “im the smartest guy in the room” attitude. Similiar to McVay and johnson. All will be sitting at home watching the SB.
He apparently said Bears should have kicked a few and how come coaches don’t take points and did the same thing!
Payton calls the plays, Webb probably gets the promotion but Webb should still look for an opportunity to call plays unless he will be an HC that has coordinator do it.
If Webb leaves ?
There has to be more to this.