Steve Smith Sr. Believes Broncos’ Historic Comeback Will Be 'Short Lived' Due to Sean Payton’s Stubbornness
Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos entered Sunday as heavy favorites at home, favored by more than a touchdown. Yet they found themselves in a 19-point hole heading into the fourth quarter against the young and exuberant New York Giants in Week 7.
Thankfully for Broncos fans, Bo Nix was able to mount a historic comeback from down 19, scoring all 33 of Denver’s points in the final frame to edge out the Giants 33-32 on a last-second field goal by Will Lutz. Nix led four straight touchdown drives, the last two taking less than a minute off the clock, before driving down the field in the final 37 seconds to set up the 39-yarder that saved the day at Mile High.
It was the most fourth-quarter points ever scored by a team that had been shut out for the first 45 minutes of a game, and it was definitely something to celebrate. But as former four-time All-Pro WR Steve Smith Sr. said this week, that celebration might be
Smith pointed out that Denver was severely outplayed for most of the game, and believes Payton is putting “too much” on the second-year QB’s plate.
“When you look at Denver, that’s remarkable. And it’s gonna be talked about for ages. However, it’s gonna be short-lived, because Denver is a team that’s doing a little bit too much in the pass game. Putting too much on their young quarterback,”
“Sean Payton is really smart. He’s also stuck in his ways. And I personally, my humble opinion is they’re putting more on his plate, and it’s impacting the offense. They’re not running the football like they should,”
Host Cam Jordan echoed the same sentiment, pointing out that massive, once-in-a-lifetime comebacks like that can make players “delusional” about being able to do that again whenever they go down big.
While a comeback that big is unlikely to happen again for Denver anytime soon, they’ve already pulled off a few slightly less dramatic ones this season. Most notably, they rallied from a 17-3 fourth-quarter deficit against the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, eventually winning that game 21-17.
The 6-2 Broncos head to Houston to take on the Texans in Week 9 as they look to retain the one-game lead they currently have over the Chiefs and Chargers in the AFC West.
BREAKING: Steelers secretly in talks to trade Alex Highsmith to a rival AFC contender before the offseason, signaling a major shake-up in Pittsburgh’s defense
The Pittsburgh Steelers were 4-1 at a point during the 2025 season, and fans were both happy and excited. After two consecutive losses, however, a lot of blame is being thrown in the direction of Mike Tomlin and his expensive defense. The main negative in the Steel City is that there remains no long-term answer at the quarterback position, and the defense that is supposed to carry the offense looks as inconsistent as ever.
A lot of changes may be coming in 2026 if the franchise continues to falter. Another one-and-done in the playoffs, or not making the postseason at all, could trigger a lot of turnover. One main issue with the Steelers' defense has been the inability to get to the quarterback. TJ Watt has not been himself, and Alex Highsmith has once again missed time due to injury.
Nick Herbig has made the most out of his opportunities, but for some reason, Tomlin and co. have given him fewer snaps in recent weeks. This doesn't make too much sense given the young defender's explosiveness.
With the trade deadline nearing and commencing on November 4th, it's plausible to believe that Pittsburgh will be in the market to make a move. No one is quite sure whether a wide receiver, safety, or both, could be in mind, but the organization isn't going to cave because of a couple of bad games and suddenly turn into sellers. The 2026 offseason, though, could be a different story.
Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hosted a fan chat on Tuesday to discuss the state of the franchise. He denied that the team would look to shed some players for draft capital before, or at the deadline, but did bring up the possibility that a highly-compensated player could be competing for a different city sooner rather than later.
"I don't think they'll be sellers," Fittipaldo wrote. "But since you want to play the game, Highsmith is the obvious candidate over the offseason if they want to sign Herbig."
It can be expected that Herbig will receive some kind of extension based on his big-play ability. It will be hard to keep three pass rushers on the roster that are all being paid millions of dollars each season, and Highsmith could the odd man out. The Steelers would be able to get some decent compensation in the return, but Highsmith needs to prove for the remainder of the 2025 season that he can stay healthy. That has been an issue throughout his career.
It's a little confusing as to why Herbig hasn't played nearly as much since Highsmith returned from injury. All three edge rushers are talented, but Herbig is currently the quickest out of the trio. With opposing quarterbacks getting rid of the ball so quickly, it would make sense to have a turnover-machine like Herbig on the field more than just for 40% or so of the defensive snaps.
This will be a development to keep an eye on. While Highsmith isn't expected to go anywhere just yet, the minute the season ends for the Steelers could be the same one General Manager Omar Khan starts to put out some feelers.
Steelers Would Be Smart To Part Ways With Highsmith
Pittsburgh has a proven track record of properly drafting and developing edge rushers. If the duo of Watt and Herbig can hold down the fort while Jack Sawyer gets better, losing Highsmith would not be looked at as a huge loss, especially because of his massive contract. The organization could then draft a fourth individual to fill out the depth chart. Khan's 10+ selections in 2026 would make this rather easy.
