Yeah, people tend to gloss over that Payton missed the playoffs 6 seasons with Drew Brees as QB - literally one of the greatest (if not the…) to play the game at the helm and Payton can’t swing a playoff birth in 6 of Brees’ prime years.
It borders on criminal.
Don’t get me wrong, Payton is a great coach and the resurgence in Denver solidifies that - but I don’t think there’s any way to excuse going 45-52 in 6 total non-playoff years with Drew Brees as your QB.