A four game win streak against some of the league’s best has shot the Denver Broncos up to national prominence.
DENVER, Colo.– The Denver Broncos might be America’s Team after a Sunday night thriller against the Minnesota Vikings. The team that started 1-5 has suddenly vaulted themselves to 5-5 and riding high on a four game win streak. Russell Wilson looks like himself again, a master magician and a improv wizard. The defense oozes confidence and staunchness, I think it’s time to call the Broncos what they are.
“How do you have confidence?” head coach Sean Payton asked rhetorically in his postgame press conference. “You do something. You guys become more confident when all of a sudden, you put together a few good pieces—you gain confidence, and it has to be gained through demonstrated ability. It’s nice to feel that in this locker room right now. It’s nice to feel that momentum.”
The team looks like genuine playoff contenders winning in old-school, ugly fashion. Their path on that four game win streak hasn’t been a cupcake either. Instead, they won against the Packers who seem to be coming together on offense, the Kansas City Chiefs who themselves were on a six-game winning streak, the Josh Allen-led Buffalo Bills, and now the red-hot Minnesota Vikings who have showcased an offensive prowess with Josh Dobbs at the helm.
“Oh my god, it feels so good to win,” Jeudy said. “That’s the best feeling. There’s nothing above winning. This feels so good. You can feel the energy. I don’t talk like this in the interviews, it’s just because we won back-to-back like that. It feels good.”
Contrast the performance with just a few weeks ago when the Broncos were close to being on the wrong side of history with a 70-20 loss in Miami where the Denver defense got torched by Mike McDaniel and his Legion of Zoom. It seems like the entire team has made a complete 180 since then, righting a wronged ship. Questions about Sean Payton’s tenure have all but disappeared, and Russell Wilson’s qualms seem to have evaded the eye of the public for now.
It’s all happened under the radar. The wins haven’t gained national recognition until the 21-20 win over Minnesota on primetime television that showcased Denver’s propensity to win the games they desperately need to win. Gross wins are still wins, no matter which way you spin it.
But Sean Payton needs more. He knows the Broncos are still sitting ducks in an AFC race gone mad. As teams make somewhat of a final push towards the final playoff bracket, the Broncos are still outsiders looking in. Teams like the Bengals and Jets look to be on the downfall, with Cincinnati losing Joe Burrow for the rest of the season and Zach Wilson being one of the NFL’s most inconsistent quarterbacks, paving a clear path for Denver to sneak in.
Payton’s been here before. This is exactly why the Broncos hired him in the first place. His resume puts him in charge of some of the best teams to grace the NFL in the past decade. With the Saints, with Drew Brees, it didn’t matter. The New Orleans Saints under Sean Payton were the definition of consistency.
“There were two different times we were 0-4 in New Orleans and then got back to 4-4,” Payton said. “Now, when that happens, there’s a certain amount of energy required to get you back. Then naturally, all of us want to exhale, and we can’t.”
“I think everyone is getting a taste of it,” Broncos tight end Adam Trautman said. “And once you see how you’re teaching the program and how you’re creating the culture and you’re like, ‘Holy (crap), it’s working.’ It took a little time, but it’s working. Now guys are like, ‘(Shoot), this is the way we’re going to do it because it’s working. This is how we’re going to win.’
“It’s all about buy-in and once you have that, you start winning games. Once you have that, you start fighting complacency.”
GOING BACK TO THE BEGINNING: The Broncos Got a New Head Coach, but is Sean Payton the Right Fit for the Denver Broncos?
As the Broncos continue to win games, they have building heavy momentum. And with momentum comes confidence. At 1-5, even getting to gaze at a wild card spot seemed like a Herculean task. After all, only three teams have ever made the playoffs after starting off the year with five losses, and none have certainly won the Super Bowl. But, in the Broncos’ minds, they’re just trying to build enough confidence to win a play at a time.
“I had no doubt that we were going to come out of there with a win,” center Lloyd Cushenberry said.
On the flip side of the ball, the Broncos have been creating takeaways at a high rate over their four game stretch. That in turn allows an otherwise lethargic offense to take shape. For example, the Broncos only scored one touchdown all game on the final drive against Minnesota. Denver kicked five field goals in order to go toe-to-toe with Josh Dobbs and the Vikings offense who at times didn’t look very energetic.
No matter which way you try to spin it, Denver’s mid-season resurgence is nothing to push away as a fluke. The Broncos are here to stay, and it’s not too crazy to see them sneak into a wild card slot.
