Sean Payton's striking admission about Ravens will wake up his Broncos players

Sean Payton has placed the Denver Broncos in a far better position than many expected. They're 5-3 overall and winners of five of their last six games. The head coach, however, is preventing his team from getting ahead of themselves with the Baltimore Ravens next up.

Sunday is a battle of 5-3 teams. However, he's looking past Baltimore's record and its letdown loss to the Cleveland Browns as Payton addressed the media Wednesday.

“This will be our toughest challenge to date by far,” Payton said via Andrew Mason of Denver Sports 1043 AM. “And this is a real, real good football team. So, getting back to last week, we're not going to be able to afford a few of those errors against a good team like this.”

Payton likely is referencing the Broncos' ground game struggles from the Carolina Panthers game. Denver managed just 102 yards rushing, enough to average only 3.2 yards per carry. Defensively, Payton's team surrendered two 20+ yard receptions and two touchdown throws from Bryce Young. Denver still won 28-14.

The Ravens, however, present a far different obstacle, as Payton described to the media.

How Sean Payton's Broncos measure up to Ravens 

Sunday's early AFC showdown points to becoming a defensive battle.

The Ravens have long been known to establish a defensive identity. It goes back to the early years of NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis. Now safety Kyle Hamilton, defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike, and cornerback Marlon Humphrey are leading the new generation of Ravens defenders.

Baltimore's 2024 unit boasts the league's No. 1 defense against the run — allowing only 69.87 rushing yards per game. Payton and Denver are already in a dilemma with re-establishing the run against the Ravens.

However, Denver brings the league's third-ranked defense in tow. Spearheaded by Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator, the Broncos have allowed just 12 touchdowns. Denver has also surrendered only 11.6 points per game during all five of its victories. Furthermore, the Broncos rank in the top 10 for both rushing and passing defense.

Even Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that Denver will be a challenge.

“We're getting on point for a very tough game Sunday against the Broncos at our place,” Harbaugh said to the media. “We're looking forward to the challenge, and we're excited to play the game.”

Of course, the biggest star to prepare for on Denver's side is Lamar Jackson. The two-time Most Valuable Player has thrown 2,099 yards, 17 touchdowns, and only two interceptions in '24. But more glaring for the Broncos? They haven't defeated a Jackson-led Ravens team yet, as they're 0-3 lifetime against him.

Payton and the Broncos are massive 9.5-point underdogs for this pivotal showdown of aspiring AFC playoff teams.