ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — There's no time to dwell on a loss.
The Broncos will be back on the field in just three days for a critical "Thursday Night Football" matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, and Denver will look to return to the win column after Sunday's loss to the Jaguars.
As Head Coach Sean Payton and his team look to respond, he reemphasized his team's ability to move on each week as a reason to believe in the Broncos' ability to bounce back.
"We've been able to, week by week, get on to the next opponent," Payton said Monday. "That same thing has to exist, obviously, coming off a loss."
Yet while Payton acknowledged the Broncos remain "a confident team," he also stressed the team's realistic perspective on Sunday's 34-20 loss.
"There wasn't guy in the locker room yesterday … that felt like we didn't get beat," Payton said. "… We got beat, and Jacksonville was the better team yesterday. I think our players know that."
That reality could help fuel a Broncos team that still controls its own destiny. With a win over the Chiefs, the Broncos would be able to clinch the AFC West with either a Chargers loss to the Texans in Week 17 or a win over the Chargers in Week 18.
"We attack adversity," tight end Evan Engram said Sunday. "This is an adverse situation that we're in after today, and we'll move on."
And as the Broncos look for their first season sweep of the Chiefs since 2014, that preparation must begin in earnest.
"There's a lot we have to cover in three days," quarterback Bo Nix said. "So, the good part about playing on a short week is you get to move on from a game like this. We have to learn from it. We have to fix the mistakes and don't let a team like that beat us twice."
LOOKING FOR TRENDS
Payton emphasized Sunday that the Broncos fell short in all three phases of the game against the Jaguars, but he doesn't see the Week 16 defensive struggles as indicative of a larger issue.
"I don't buy it," Payton said. "Our defense played pretty well last week. You look for those trends. I think our defense has been outstanding this year. They played a good offense yesterday, and look, they struggled. We didn't play well yesterday, defensively."
The Broncos' top-ranked third-down and red-zone defense didn't play to its normal billing, allowing the Jaguars to convert more than 50 percent of their third downs and 80 percent of their red-zone trips.
A week ago, though, Denver held the Packers to 1-of-4 in the red zone and recorded a pair of takeaways.
"Certainly, the week before against a good offense, we played well and had a big win," Payton said.
As the Broncos' defense looks to respond in Week 17, they've already turned their attention toward the next challenge.
"Honestly, it's a short week, so shoot, it's time to go," defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers said Sunday. "… Win, lose, draw, we have a 24-hour rule — and we're on to the next one."
