Dec 24, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks with quarterback Russell Wilson (3) before the game against the New England Patriots at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Broncos pulled off one of the more astonishing comebacks on Sunday, overcoming a 19-0 deficit to beat the Giants. But it wasn't easy. And for head coach Sean Payton, his takeaway was how the Giants' quarterback switch to Jaxson Dart had energized that team.

Russell Wilson, though, seemed to take a seemingly harmless compliment to Dart as a personal insult from his former coach.

Speaking to reporters, Payton said of the Giants, "They found a little spark with that quarterback. I was talking to John Mara not too long ago and I said, 'We were hoping that change would’ve happened long after our game.’”

Somehow, those comments prompted Wilson to respond and even make a reference to Payton's Bountygate scandal from his time in New Orleans.

Obviously, there had to be more to the adversarial relationship between Wilson and Payton after one season together in Denver. And for Wilson to immediately go to Bountygate, he had to view Payton's comments as a focused swipe towards him.

But let's be honest: The Giants are objectively better since switching to Dart. That's all Payton seemed to be saying — even if Wilson was the one who was replaced.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Russell Wilson called Sean Payton 'classless' after Jaxson Dart comments

Reporting by Andrew Joseph, For The Win / For The Win

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