ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — After all they've accomplished so far this season, the Broncos returned from their bye week talking about what's next.
As Head Coach Sean Payton addressed his team Monday about the upcoming stretch, he acknowledged the position in which the Broncos have put themselves — and how they can take advantage of that opportunity.
"Here we are, in a position to compete for seeding," Payton said Monday.
For Denver to earn the best possible spot in the upcoming postseason, Payton identified the team's penalties and turnover margin as key areas for improvement.
"The penalties stand out, if you said, 'What's the low-hanging fruit that you have to clean up to improve your chances of getting the best possible seed?'" Payton said. "Then, secondly, is harping on the plus-minus turnover [margin], giveaway-takeaway. We ended up up [plus] one last week, and that meant a lot. We were close to being up two, but in important games, that one possession can be the difference."
The Broncos have been whistled for double-digit penalties five times this season, including four times during the ongoing win streak. The Broncos have also accrued more than 100 penalty yards on three occasions.
"The penalty thing is not just one player," Payton said. "… When you look at the totality of it, and you do your homework on it, and you look offensively and defensively, that's something that we as a collective have to get better at."
On the turnover front, the Broncos' offense has just 12 giveaways this year, which is tied for the 10th fewest in the NFL. Denver's defense, though, has notched only nine takeaways, with ranks among the fewest in the NFL. The Broncos' defense has still thrived despite the lack of takeaways, which could bode well for Denver if the Broncos can start to force turnovers in the final stretch of the season.
As the Broncos turn their attention to improvement in those two areas, kicker Wil Lutz believes the team has the right makeup to make those changes and continue to move forward.
"The guy wants to win," Lutz said of Payton. "He's addicted to winning, and he's brought in guys who are addicted to winning. We've kind of approached it like that all year. He's been very adamant, when you start stringing these wins together, it becomes addicting — and you don't want to feel the other side of it. He knows he has the right guys in here that we can talk about it, we can be excited about our success this far, and at the same time continue to work, continue to get better. We have a full fourth quarter of this season to go. I mean more than that, I guess. No one's looking in the rearview mirror. We're all looking forward. … We're trying to get the history of the Denver Broncos back to the winning ways they had for so long in the NFL. We have the right guys to do it. We have the right leadership to do it. It starts at the top, and it just kind of trickles down to everyone. It's been fun, and I think everybody plans on continuing that."
LUTZ INKS NEW DEAL
The Broncos' kicker capped an exciting week by signing a three-year extension, and he was thrilled to remain with an organization that he's seen make strides since he arrived in 2023.
"Obviously, I think the cool part of anyone who's been here the last few years is just seeing, but also feeling the change that's kind of going through this building over the past couple of years. I think that started with the new ownership. [Owner & CEO] Mr. [Greg Penner] and [Owner] Mrs. [Carrie Walton] Penner have been great. The word 'no' really isn't in their vocabulary for their players, and I think you can tell by the vibes in the building. You look at that new building every day that you're out there at practice, and you feel the change that's happening, kind of getting back to the history of the Broncos and the winning ways that we've always had. I have a great relationship with Coach Payton, and then obviously being able to get to know our upstairs [personnel staff] over the last couple of years with doing a couple extensions with them now, this is the place you want to be. My family, it's just been such a welcome change for us over the last three years. We're just really excited to be a part of the future here, not just going to practice every day staring at that building, hoping that I get to be a part of it. It was never really a weight on my shoulders, but it's taken care of and we get to focus on winning football."
Lutz said he was "a little surprised" to have the extension happen in the middle of the season, but he also stressed his desire to finish his career in Denver.
"I think it was mutual," Lutz said. "The whole process was fairly easy. We were all on the same page about where I stand in this building and that I want to be a part of this going forward."
