The Denver Broncos almost got some valuable help from the Philadelphia Eagles in the Eagles overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chaagers on Monday night, but quarterback Jalen Hurts turned into a turnover machine and Philly fell short, 22-19.
The Broncos are keeping an eye on their direct competition, of course, but they have a very different mindset now. It’s all about securing a playoff berth and a division title, but they’re focusing on their own process as they prepare to play the Green Bay Packers this Sunday.
“The focus gets so inwardly driven to our own team,” Payton said in a piece written by Nick Kosmider of The Athletic, “that I recognize that a team that’s won the division for however many straight years won’t be able to win it this year, but it’s more important to focus on, ‘All right, how do we finish this next quarter pole of the season, starting with a real good team in Green Bay?’ ”
Record-wise, the teams the Broncos will be playing are tightly clustered right now. Green Bay is coming to Denver with a 9-3-1 record, and the Chargers are 9-4 after beating the Eagles.
“We have a stretch here with some real good football teams coming in and focusing on what we can do to win the division,” Payton said on Monday. “The Chargers are very much alive in that battle. Furthermore, (it’s about) what we can do to give ourselves the best seed possible.”
Denver’s seeding position could change considerably this weekend, especially if they beat Green Bay and their rival for the top seed, the New England Patriots, drops their game against the Buffalo Bills.
The Broncos are currently slight underdogs going into Sunday’s game against the Packers, which is a little surprising given that it’s at home. But the next four weeks will be a challenge for Denver, and it’s one the Broncos are eager to take on.
“If you want to make it to the ‘Big Game,’ you’ve got to win big games,” Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers said. “Every week that we get a chance to put our stuff on tape and show what type of team we are is an opportunity that we can’t let pass us. These next three, four games are huge to where we want to go as far as seeding and so forth.
“We can’t take for granted. We’re going to practice and prepare for these teams, and we’re going to play our style of football.”