This wasn’t the postgame pleasantry Sean Payton was likely expecting.

Shortly after Denver sealed its fifth win of the season Sunday with a dominant 28-14 victory over the woeful Panthers at home, Payton ran onto the field and was confronted by Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn, who accused the Broncos’ head coach of “trying to run the score up,” according to footage captured by 9News Sports Denver.

Horn, a four-year veteran, can be seen talking to Payton, 61, in the video before walking away.

The Broncos had a firm grip on the game entering halftime when they led Carolina, 21-7.

Denver increased its lead to 28-7 late in the third quarter, but ran two trick plays in the fourth despite the big lead.

They first opted for a fake instead of kicking a field goal while facing fourth-and-8 at the Panthers’ 42-yard line and turned the ball over after falling short of the sticks.

With 4:29 remaining and facing a fourth-and-2 at the Panthers’ 43-yard line, the Broncos used a double pass to notch 28 yards.

Carolina later scored its second and final touchdown in garbage time, with the Panthers dropping to 1-7 on the season.

Dave Canales, in his first year at the helm in Carolina, was pressed on Payton’s decision postgame.

“They’re just competing. I don’t know what else to tell you about it,” Canales said, according to the Charlotte-based WBTV.

“He’s just competing trying to stay on the field, run the clock out and end the game in that situation. And if it happens to be the call that was set up there, that’s their decision to make.”

Payton, who faced the Panthers as the coach of the Saints for 15 seasons, spoke about the moment with Horn, 24, and recalled coaching his father, former wide receiver Joe Horn, in New Orleans in 2006.

“I coached his father, and so I was yelling back at him,” Payton said, per CBS Sports. “I don’t know what the exchange was, but his father I enjoyed coaching. He was frustrated, I think he was yelling at one of our other players. I like him, I think he’s a good player.”

Although Payton spoke highly of Horn, he didn’t extend those accolades to the rest of the Panthers’ roster.

“I said this, it’s not a good offense we played. It’s just the truth,” Payton said.

“So we expected that, and we’re going to see a lot better teams.”

That is true for the Broncos (5-3), who will visit the Ravens (5-3) and Chiefs (7-0) in back-to-back weeks.

The Panthers, meanwhile, will visit the reeling Saints (2-6) in New Orleans next week before traveling to Germany for a Nov. 9 clash against the Giants (2-6).