It was far from perfect. It was even further from pretty. But a win is a win is a win in the NFL — and with the Denver Broncos' latest, the team clinched its first winning season since 2016.
Head coach Sean Payton discussed its significance following Sunday's 31-13 comeback victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
“The appeal to me was the tradition here, the years of sustained success here and the importance of this game here," Payton told reporters. "You can only find a few cities you can say that about and then you find the right ownership group. There were certain things that were really important. The football tradition and history here was very appealing to me. I have known [Pro Football Hall of Fame QBs] Peyton [Manning] and John [Elway] forever but it was somewhere where the fan base’s expectations were high. You want to be in New York, Los Angeles or Las Vegas if you’re in entertainment, you do not want to be in Rhode Island. If you are in this industry, you want to be somewhere where it is really important and the expectations are high. It is nice to get the ninth win. We will have some cupcakes for you guys as you leave and can go from there.”
Not only did Denver secure its ninth win, but they also received some conference help with Houston defeating Miami and Tampa Bay trouncing Los Angeles. The Broncos now hold the sixth seed in the AFC and if the playoffs started today would travel to Pittsburgh for a grudge match with the Russell Wilson-led Steelers.
The Broncos (9-5) can officially lock up a postseason berth — their first since 2015 — upon beating the Chargers (8-6) on Thursday Night Football, an all-important tilt that was moved to prime time.
"I think a lot was made of it when it was flexed, but it made a lot of sense," Payton said. "They were flexing a team out that has that Christmas week schedule and flexing us in which gave us additional time. We travel well to L.A., I think it is a perfect trip for a Denver fan.”
