Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is locked in, and he knows there is a lot of work left for his team to reach the heights they have envisioned for themselves.
Payton met with the media on Monday, long after the dust from the Broncos’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders on “Thursday Night Football” had settled, and spoke candidly about the requisite improvements both players and coaches must make going forward.
That is even more imperative ahead of a pivotal matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sean Payton Delivers Strong Message About Chiefs Game
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks to his team during a game against the Houston Texans.
Payton is 2-2 against the Chiefs as the Broncos’ head coach, but he has no intentions of taking the Chiefs lightly. While Payton did not delve too deeply into the implications of the matchup for the Broncos, who are 8-2 entering this matchup, it was abundantly clear.
Asked about the pros and cons of catching the Chiefs coming off their bye week while the Broncos had their own mini break, Payton said, “You play them when you play them.”
He figured facing the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles would prove challenging.
“To get through that stretch, I was just having this conversation earlier, it’s amazing how quickly it feels like this stretch of six, seven weeks have gone by, and … you get in a routine,” Payton told reporters on November 10.
“Having this mini weekend, especially with Kansas City coming off a bye, look, it’ll be an important game. Obviously, it’s a divisional game. And we’ll be ready to go.”
The Broncos have started games slowly this season, among various other self-inflicted issues.
Chiefs Remain Dangerous
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on before facing the Houston Texans.
Payton and the Broncos are catching the Chiefs at an interesting time. Chiefs coach Andy Reid is historically great coming off a bye. However, the team is coming off one of its worst losses, particularly regarding quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
They lost to the Buffalo Bills 28-21 in Week 9, while Mahomes posted the lowest completion percentage of his career. Still, experience holds weight in the NFL.
Former Broncos star and Super Bowl champion Eric Decker touted Mahomes in that regard.
“I forgot about New England, but you got Buffalo, you got Kansas City,” Decker told RG.org’s DJ Siddiqi in an interview published in October. “Those are the front runners, just because of their experience and the quarterbacks at the helm. Those guys are seasoned. They know how to win. They’ve been there before, and so that always has the advantage, in my opinion.”
The Los Angeles Chargers also notched another win in Week 10, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers on “Sunday Night Football.” They are 7-3 on the season, and still on the Broncos’ heels with both matchups still to come.
Payton was adamant that the Broncos would clean up the miscues that have plagued them, really, throughout the regular season. The Broncos are tied for the league lead in penalties heading into “Monday Night Football” in Week 10, per FootballDatabase.
They lead the league in offensive holding, defensive pass interference, and are tied for second in defensive holding.
Sean Payton Gets Honest About Broncos’ Challenges
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks for a play against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Payton believes all of the Broncos’ issues are correctable, putting the onus on coaches as much as the players.
“The challenge the other night, and especially when you look at the tape, there were a number of things that we’ve got to do better – we, collectively, as coaches – and we will. I’m glad we got the win. I just finished talking to our team about it. That was a big win for us to get to eight. And obviously we recognize, ‘All right, here are the things we got to continue to work on to improve,’” Payton said.
“I think you can correct that, and we plan on it. I think, look, there’s one or two a game that get called, you look at, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I don’t agree with that. But that being said, there’s a sum total. And, certainly, it has to be a point of emphasis.”
The Broncos have been able to lean on the NFL’s third-ranked scoring and overall defense.
Their offense ranks 17th in scoring and is 13th overall. However, the Broncos have needed dramatic finishes to notch several victories already and would surely like that to change.
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