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AFC Notes: Keenan Allen, Sean Payton, Broncos, Chargers, Raiders
Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Broncos

Broncos HC Sean Payton said the team has been too inconsistent around QB Bo Nix.

“I think it was too inconsistent,” Payton said, via PFT. “There were too many minus plays. So yesterday was a day that I would say the job degree difficulty factor, it was a hard day to play quarterback when your average third down is third-and-11. If we’re not more efficient on first and second down, the best in our league are going to struggle with the numbers that we gave [Nix] on third down. The thing that stood out was not only the penalties that set you back offensively, but the minus plays. That has to be corrected for us to be a quality offense.”

  • Payton talked about their decision to place OLB Dre Greenlaw on injured reserve: “We got to a point and he’s been busting his tail off. This will take a little pressure off. We could have done it earlier. There was still a goal date and it was either this week or next. We felt like the last thing we wanted to do is have him come out too early and re-injure it. George (Paton, Broncos GM) and I sat down with him, spent some time discussing it and there is plenty of season left. In hindsight, we could have said it and done it sooner. But, at that time, the information was ‘Hey, this is 4 weeks away and it’s a bit longer.'” (Mike Klis)

Chargers

Chargers WR Keenan Allen has been around for every year of QB Justin Herbert‘s career except one — his season-long dalliance with the Bears in 2024. So far in 2025, Allen is ready to say this is the best and most locked-in he’s seen Herbert play. The sixth-year passer has carved up the Chiefs, Raiders and Broncos to start off the year, completing two-thirds of his passes for six touchdowns and no picks. More importantly, the Chargers are unbeaten and in first place in the AFC West. 

“He’s just getting better every day,” Allen said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “He knows the offense like the back of his hand. He knows when we’re in stuff, when to get out of it. I think that’s the start of it, and then the rest is having confidence he can make every play. When he knows everything — can get to what he wants to get to and knows how to do it — it’s kind of hard to stop him.”

Raiders

Former Raiders HC Antonio Pierce said it would be “foolish” to believe that Tom Brady wouldn’t share inside information with the team.

“This is unprecedented, what we’re seeing,” Pierce said, via PFT. “I think I would be uncomfortable if it was the other way around, to be honest with you. Because you’re not dealing with just a normal person. Tom Brady is the elite of the elite, one of the greatest quarterbacks, one of the greatest players in the game, played against him obviously, student of the game. It’s not hard for him to watch a few things on a Friday practice or hear things in a production meeting and be like, ‘Hmm,’ and have tidbits. And you’d be foolish enough to think that he’s not gonna share that with the Raiders because we had those conversations about certain things.”

Pierce added that Brady was an asset for the team last year and it remains to be seen whether or not he provided the team with insider information.

“I think everybody’s gonna give you the political answer and say, ‘Oh, it’s no big deal,’” Pierce added. “I’m calling BS on that because if me and you was to call the game, they’ll be secretive with us. Now you got a guy who’s a minority owner, a great player, you know he understands the game, you know he sees the game. He has obviously an interest in the Raiders. So I just think it’s unprecedented. We haven’t seen it. Again, I don’t want to talk above my means. I don’t know what the NFL has set for Tom Brady and his rules, but I know he was a great asset for us with the Raiders when I was there. And I think he’ll still be a great asset as he’s going forward and I think this does help him out, and the Raiders.”

This article first appeared on NFLTradeRumors.co and was syndicated with permission.

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