NFL news: Michael Strahan questions Sean Payton’s critical fourth-down decision

Super Bowl champion Michael Strahan said he does not understand the coaches who go for it on fourth down all the time.

Strahan, 54, lamented Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton going for it on fourth down when the Broncos were up 7-0 early in their loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game Sunday.

“Denver, I thought that they should have kicked that field goal, gone up, taken the points,” Strahan said during a recent appearance on “New Heights.”

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Michael Strahan plays the second hole prior to the 2025 Ryder Cup at the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y., Sept. 24, 2025. (Mateo Villalba/Getty Images)

“I don’t get these coaches now, because fourth down now is automatic go-for-it more than not. And I get analytics, but you got to feel the team, you got to feel the situation.”

With the Broncos starting backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, and knowing that the weather was going to become a factor later in the game, Strahan wished the Broncos had taken the points and gone up 10-0. Strahan, who played under Payton during his time with the New York Giants, said he felt bad for the coach.

“I felt bad for Sean Payton, cause Sean Payton coached me back in 2000 or something like that. I love Sean, and I talked to him the day before the game. (He was) very confident (in) what they were doing in the playoffs,” Strahan said.

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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton watches during the second half of the AFC championship game against the New England Patriots in Denver, Colo., Jan. 25, 2026. (John Locher/AP Photo)

“I felt like just take the points, man, take the points. Put pressure on New England, especially on the road, to beat you with a great defense like they have.”

Strahan also pointed out that the Patriots have a strong defense and that when you get down in the red zone, you have to take the points you can get. Had the Broncos elected to kick the field goal and made it, they would have gone up 10-0.

A two-score lead, with the weather that ended up arriving in the second half, could have changed the outcome of the game. Strahan thought the Broncos should have won the game.

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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton speaks during a news conference after the AFC championship game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots in Denver, Colo., Jan. 25, 2026. (Garrett W. Ellwood/AP Photo)

Instead, the Patriots advanced and will take on the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl Feb. 8.

Strahan, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a 15-year career with the Giants, recorded 141½ sacks in 216 games and is considered one of the best defensive ends of all time.

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