Jaycee Horn confronts Sean Payton postgame for 'trying to run up the score' on Panthers

Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn had some words for Broncos coach Sean Payton after a 28-14 loss on Sunday. Horn accused Payton of “trying to run up the score” on the Panthers in the fourth quarter.

Horn was speaking directly to Payton but walked away soon after. The coach then moved on to shake hands with other members of the Carolina staff and seemingly let it go.

Sean Payton was confronted on the field postgame by Carolina's Jaycee Horn, who said he was "trying to run the score up."#9sports #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/PZMvHZk2dh

— 9NEWS Sports Denver (@9NEWSSports) October 27, 2024

It’s unclear exactly what Horn was referring to when he called out Payton for running up the score. Denver was in control for most of the game and held a 28-7 advantage going into the final quarter.

The Broncos continued to play until the whistle, driving down to the Panthers’ 9-yard line with 2:13 remaining before fumbling the ball away. Carolina scored on the ensuing drive to make it a two-touchdown loss instead of three.

Perhaps the incident was simply some postgame frustration boiling over for Horn. The Panthers are now just 1-7 on the season and the secondary gave up 298 yards passing and three touchdowns through the air.

For his part, Horn did have a pair of tackle and two passes defended. But it ultimately wasn’t enough as rookie Bo Nix carved up Carolina for a season-high in passing yards and touchdowns.

As for the Broncos, they have now won five of their past six games and improved to 5-3 on the year after an 0-2 start. They are looking at a potential postseason appearance in the second year under Payton if they keep it up.

Things aren’t as bright for the Panthers, who are well on their way to their a losing record for the seventh straight season. It seems a little late to salvage anything at this point, but they’ll at least hope for some signs of life when they face the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs next week.