ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- When Denver Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham fired a pass in a two-minute drill during practice this week, the two biggest changes in the team's offense since last January's loss in the AFC Championship Game were easy to see.
The pass was caught by wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who the Broncos acquired with a draft pick from the Miami Dolphins in March for three picks, including their first-rounder from this past draft. And the play was called via walkie talkie by new offensive coordinator Davis Webb.
The 31-year-old Webb was promoted from passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator earlier this offseason. But what makes his situation unique is that he will be the primary playcaller, a title Broncos coach Sean Payton has rarely surrendered in nearly two decades as an NFL head coach. Payton called plays for the vast majority of his 15 seasons with the New Orleans Saints and has been the exclusive playcaller for three regular seasons in Denver.
"I trust him, he trusts me, we think very similar, I know how he wants the game to be played," Webb said after Thursday's OTA practice, his first public comments since the promotion. "It's the same offense for the most part, just little tweaks here and there. But this is a Sean Payton-coached football team with Sean Payton offensive philosophy. We're just going to grow with our QB and our skill players and our offensive line."
Hours after the Broncos lost 10-7 to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, Payton was already grinding on what he calls "the debrief" of the disappointing end for a team he believed was good enough to win a Super Bowl. And beyond playing in the AFC title game without starting quarterback Bo Nix, who fractured his right ankle the week before, Payton concluded that he needed to tweak his personal approach on game day.
He quickly made the decision to promote Webb to replace the fired Joe Lombardi and went a step further by giving him the playcalling reins. That helped sell Webb -- who had interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Bills, Ravens and Raiders along with eliciting offensive coordinator interest -- on remaining in Denver.
"It was a no-doubter, I didn't want to leave here," Webb said. "I love the players we have here, love the staff we have here, love the ownership, the front office."
The nature of the loss to the Patriots was the catalyst to this change. With Stidham starting for an injured Nix, the Broncos gained only 32 second-half yards and didn't gain 17 or more yards on a possession in the last two quarters.
Payton said at the combine in February that he first considered handing over playcalling duties midseason, an idea which picked up momentum during his end-of-season review. Those duties now fall to Webb, though questions remain on how he and Payton will work together on the headset on game days.
The transition has been low-key thus far according to both Payton and Webb, as Payton often had Lombardi call plays during the Broncos' offseason program the previous three years. Webb has called plays for Payton once, with the Broncos gaining 562 yards in a preseason victory over the Arizona Cardinals last season.
Webb said Thursday that he, Payton and the offensive staff went through two season's worth of game day tape -- encompassing Nix's time as a starter -- to break down what did and didn't work. But there has been an emphasis on picking up the overall offensive pace, even as Nix is recovering from his most recent ankle surgery in April.
"Right now, we're just teaching the installations, making sure we're getting the bad football out of our system now," Webb said. "Break the huddle efficiently, get to the ball fast and allow the QB to see the game."
"It helps a lot, just his experience with the system, with Bo, with the current players," Payton added. "... He's got good energy, he's extremely sharp, we're better having him, we're in a better spot with his experience here than we would be if he was just coming in."
Webb isn't that far removed from his playing career, as he was a backup quarterback for the New York Giants in 2022. But Payton has had him on his staff since being hired by the Broncos in early 2023. He was so impressed by Webb's interview to be the quarterbacks coach that he called Webb to return to the Broncos' facility before the candidate had arrived at the airport after the interview.
Both Payton and Nix have lauded Webb's role in Nix's development over the past two seasons. And given that Webb's father, Matt, was a long-time Texas prep football coach, Webb said he already has the calloused skin necessary to be a playcaller, especially a first-year one in the NFL.
"That kind of comes with it," Webb said. "Our whole deal is let's score some points, let's have some fun, let's have a different attitude on offense, let's get up, get some excitement, celebrate with your teammates, no dumb penalties, just play clean football."