ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — It’s been so long since the Broncos looked this good at this point of the season that it’s difficult to not look past the Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday and not think: 6-2 is there for the taking.
After the Chargers game, the Broncos play next Thursday night at New Orleans, where Saints’ quarterback Derek Carr won’t play because of injury, and then it’s back home against the Carolina Panthers, the NFL’s worst team.
Only problem with looking ahead: It starts with beating a good Chargers team that is considerably tougher and more physical than past Chargers teams with new head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Sean Payton, the Broncos’ head coach, will do his best to keep his players focused on the Chargers and nothing but this week. He wants nothing to do with his homecoming next Thursday to New Orleans, where he coached for 15 seasons with impressive success, until Sunday night.
9NEWS caught up to Payton this week for his interview segment on the Broncos Huddle that will be shown 6:30 p.m. Friday on 9NEWS.
Starting to get a fuller picture of why you so liked Bo Nix during the draft process. Both of you guys have an edge to your personalities. We go back to when you don’t talk back to your teachers. But you handled the young man.
Payton: “There’s so much preparation that goes into the week, and ultimately you’re competitive, you want success and he’s been fantastic. I think in today’s day and age, sometimes that … it’s just – and I said this afterwards – it is a little bit of the love language. I remember when a coach told me, ‘Worry more when I stop.’
“He’s been great. You see the improvement each week, and I know there’s certain plays even in that game where we looked at it and said, ‘All right, next week we’re going to make that play.’
“I love coaching him. He’s been great for the team, and I thought his Instagram post was pretty good.”
There’s national interest in this coaching matchup between you and Jim Harbaugh. You both have proven track records as head coaches. Both are in your second or final chapters with teams in the AFC West where the Chiefs have dominated and Patrick Mahomes is still young. Says something that neither of you were afraid of that challenge.
Payton: “Jim’s a fantastic coach. You just look, USD, Stanford, 49ers, none of that’s been an accident. We’re all lucky to have some real important influences. His father was a really good coach. Bo Schembechler. And we get sometimes you’re lineage and your roots can really help you. And so man I was excited he got a job, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be in our division. And we share the same agent now, so anyway, he does a great job.”
Your defense through Week 5 has better numbers in the two main categories of points and yards allowed than that great Von Miller-DeMarcus Ware, No Fly Zone, Super Bowl 50 defense in 2015.
Check this out:
2015 2024
- W-L 5-0 3-2
- PPG allowed 15.8 14.6
- YPG allowed 278.0 271.2
- Sacks 22 19
- INTs 7 5
- Takeaways 14 8
- Opp 3rd down pct 29.7 32.4
- Opp passer rating 70.9 75.5
You have a long way to go, but you’ve also come a long way in a year.
Payton: “I think we started with the premise of, how do we improve from the personnel perspective? And then obviously you have to be able to hold up against the run. Vance (Joseph) and those guys have been doing a great job. And then there’s been growth at some positions. We’ve seen Riley Moss come into his own. We’ve seen P.J. (Locke) and I could go on and on. But we’re early into the season right now.”
