The Denver Broncos rank fourth in fourth-quarter points per game through 10 weeks this season. However, Broncos head coach Sean Payton is concerned with how his team has performed during the other three frames in games, which rank no better than 15th (1Q).
The Broncos face their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, in Week 11, and Payton has already set the tone for how significant this matchup is.
They have much larger goals, though, and reaching them will require cleaning up their issues.
Sean Payton Triples Down on Chiefs Praise
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on during a game against the Houston Texans.
Payton was again presented with a question about the Chiefs, this time regarding the differences between this year’s team and those of seasons past. There was not much to critique.
That is particularly true with wide receiver Rashee Rice back from a six-game suspension.
“There’s a reason this team has won for a long period of time,” Payton told reporters on November 12. “It’s talent, it’s coaching, it’s a program, it’s a GM, it’s ownership, and that’s where we’re aspiring to go.”
The first thing Payton cited was the Chiefs’ “consistency” through the years. He also noted that they are playing good “complementary football.”
They have been frequent visitors to the red zone this season.
The Chiefs have the third-highest conversion rate on the fifth-most red zone trips, per Pro Football Reference. The Broncos have frequently been lauded for having many, if not all, of the components Payton mentioned for KC.
Putting it all together for a full 60 minutes is their next challenge. A win in Week 11 could vault Payton and the Broncos into another stratosphere mentally.
To get it, they must properly address the issues they have encountered early in games.
Sean Payton Delivers Reality Check for Broncos
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks to his team during a game against the Houston Texans.
Payton and the Broncos are 8-2, atop the AFC West standings, and tied for the best record in the NFL heading into the Chiefs game. The head coach met with the media on Wednesday, and he spoke highly about the team’s ability to emerge victorious in tight contests.
The Broncos are 6-2 in one-score games this season, and their two losses came in Weeks 2 and 3, against the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers, respectively.
However, presented with a question regarding the Broncos’ slow starts, Payton was frank.
“It’s our jobs to, offensively, put ourselves in a position of starting faster. And when I discussed this after the game, there aren’t many times when a game’s over – when you win, even – where you’re fully satisfied. There’s something bugging you. There’s something. And certainly, getting that balance and the time of possession, also to help our defense. And so, I like that this year we’re doing better in these one-score games,” Payton said.
“I think you gained some confidence. And if you tried to pick when did that turn, you might look at Philly. But to go where we want to go, there has to be improvement. And certainly we understand that.”
The Broncos enter this game riding a seven-game win streak. The Chiefs lost in their last outing against the Buffalo Bills before their bye in Week 10.
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