Broncos four downs>> Head coach Sean Payton was yelling at the wrong guy in Detroit

1 Sean Payton needed to yell at himself: Did he rush the play? Did he change a call? The devil’s in the details, but Payton going Woody Hayes on Russell Wilson late in the third quarter was a weird rage flex. Especially after at least two potential touchdowns — and probably a third — weren’t challenged by the firstyear Broncos coach in real time. Even Lions fans on social media couldn’t believe their football fortunes. Wilson was either shaken, hit or poor — No. 3 completed just four of his first 10 throws for 69 yards in the first half — early on, but Big Russ wasn’t the only reason the Orange & Blue laid a giant egg in Motown.

2 Meinerz was … what?: See, now, this is how conspiracy theories get started. It was bad enough that Sean Payton was too busy screaming himself hoarse at Russell Wilson to notice, but we’re having a hard time processing — from any angle, and we looked at them all — how right guard Quinn Meinerz was “offsides” on the fourth- and- goal at the Lions 1 with 46 seconds left in the third quarter. Michael Burton’s touchdown plunge should’ve counted. But then again, Jaleel Mclaughlin’s catch and Javonte Williams’ run should’ve counted, too.

3 Third quarter streak snapped: Sure, the first two and two- thirds quarters had all the fun for Broncos Country of getting a root canal with a rusty drill. But Lil’jordan Humphrey’s lap- trap of a touchdown catch to open the third stanza put a halt to one of the stranger streaks of the season — it capped the Broncos’ first scoring drive coming out of halftime in 11 attempts. So there’s that. Which is nice.

4 Branch’s hit made KJ cringe: Yo, Brian Branch? Kareem Jackson would like a word. If there’s any football justice in Motown, the league office would probably want a quick word, too. Branch’s first- quarter, helmet- to- helmet hit on Broncos tight end Adam Trautman was ugly in real time. It was atrocious slowed down. If it’s KJ doing the damage, that kind of collision gets a dude suspended until 2025.