DENVER — In the Broncos' preseason finale, Head Coach Sean Payton wanted his players to put forth their best performance.
"I don't watch a lot of TV," Payton said after the Broncos' 34-6 win over the Vikings. "But my wife likes watching '[The] Voice,' where the singers sing."
In the initial stage of the show, the judges face the opposite direction as the contestants sing. If and when they hear something like they like, they press a button to spin their chair around and view the contestant.
On Friday, Payton wanted he and the Broncos' brass to hit that proverbial button.
"Today, it was like, 'Hey, make us spin the chair. Make us spin it.'"
In a win in which the Broncos scored the final 21 points, plenty of players did their best to make their case.
"This game has had its moments," Payton said. "I'm talking about this last preseason game … There's just so many times that all of a sudden, somebody made a team. We talk about that all the time. There are a number of guys that it's not as important for, but there are a number that it's the most important thing. Period."
Quarterback Sam Ehlinger could be among those players, as he threw three touchdown passes in his most extensive action of the preseason. On perhaps his most impressive play of the night, Ehlinger scrambled around on fourth down and found Cody Schrader — who finished with a team-high 132 scrimmage yards — for a 14-yard touchdown pass.
"I was excited for him," Payton said of Ehlinger. "There's one thing he does. I've said it to you guys many times. When you're in practice situations and plays don't finish out, you see X. And then for him, when you're in a game situation, we don't have to decide whether he was sacked or not. He wasn't, and it was a touchdown pass. It's some of the things that I think served him well in college and when he plays in games. It's hard to simulate some of that."
The ensuing days for Payton, General Manager George Paton and Co. will require making tough decisions as they trim the roster to 53 players by Sunday at 4 p.m. MT.
"Remember, it's the right 53 and getting the proper evaluation," Payton said. "I will spend more time concerned [with] who's making it, as opposed to the ones that maybe possibly aren't."
Payton also said, though, that they're "rooting for every one of them" — and that the end of a journey with the team may not be permanent.
"I just finished saying this in the locker room, in those tough meetings the next two days, within a month, within two months, all of a sudden a player will be back in your building," Payton said. "That happens."
'HIGH ON THE LIST'
Rookie tight end Justin Joly posted one of the plays of the night as he found a massive hole in Minnesota's defense near midfield and then raced toward the end zone for an eventual 88-yard score.
"Honestly, it felt like the ball was in the air for like 30 seconds," Joly said. "The ball felt like I was waiting for it forever. … It's like an open layup in basketball. … You think it's easy until you're out there."
As Joly hauled in the Sam Ehlinger pass and raced away from the Vikings defense, he provided another reminder of the Broncos' depth at the tight end position.
Payton said after the win that the team is "still working through" the decisions at that position and that it will be an area of focus on Saturday.
"It's a deep room. If you just count the numbers, which you guys are able to, it's a deep room," Payton said. "What's the role? What's the vision? I think that's still something we're working through and trying to look closely at. It's one of the topics that will be high on the list tomorrow."
UPDATE ON MIMS
Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. left early in Friday's game, but Payton said afterward that Mims will be OK.
"Mims is going to be fine," Payton said. "It's a bruise. We were really more just cautious with him."
