The Denver Broncos finally broke the strangehold the Kansas City Chiefs have had on the AFC West for the last decade, but it’s safe to say their reaction was somewhat underwhelming. When coach Sean Payton was asked what to do with the hats and t-shirts that arrived after Los Angeles Chargers’ loss to the Houston Texans that gave Denver the title, he suggested they be kept out of sight.
“I said, ‘Just put them in the (players’) lockers,” Payton told the team’s equipment manager in a piece written by Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. ” … I haven’t seen the hats or the shirts. My understanding is they’re pretty ugly.”
Payton initially said he was fine with the Broncos backing into the AFC West title after they outlasted the Chiefs, 20-13, on Christmas night, but he didn’t provide any real followup.
“We actually didn’t even talk about it,” Payton said of the Broncos (13-3) earning their first division title since 2015. “I don’t know if that’s something I should’ve (talked about), or omitted. … We just didn’t really talk about it. The focus was on this week’s game and the Chargers and the seeding ramifications, really trying to educate them relative to what’s going to be important here down the stretch.”
Linebacker Alex Singleton was at the Denver Zoo with his family when his phone started lighting up with the news.
“It was definitely a little different, but just as exciting,” said Singleton, who celebrated division championships as a locker room participant with the Philadelphia Eagles. “It was cool just hanging out and then, in the group chat, the texts and phone calls just come through with just how excited everybody is with what it means to this team and this organization.”
Payton, meanwhile, is laser-focused on getting the top seed in the AFC. The bye that comes with it is pivotal, even with the news that the Broncos will be facing backup quarterback Trey Lance rather than Chargers gunslinger Justin Herbert, who will get the day off to heal up after a bruising season.
“There’s a number of reasons for that,” he said when asked about the importance of that ranking. “These games are three hours long, and the first reason is you skip a game in which you’re at risk to not play well or an opponent, all of a sudden, has a great game.
“You skip the threat of potentially losing a game. You skip right to the next round. Then, to be able to play in front of our fans, with the crowd noise, the atmosphere, it’s been a while since they’ve hosted a playoff game. Certainly, it’s a fan base that deserves that opportunity. I get excited for them and for our team. Man, all of it is important.”