Being an NFL head coach is often a high-wire act, and Denver Broncos Coach Sean McVay knows the drill better than most. He’s been doing it for a long time, and he knows that one of the most important parts of the job is doing right by the coaching staff when they get new opportunities after a successful season.
This season has been just that and then some for the Broncos, which means coaches like defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, quarterbacks coach Davis Webb and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi have been interviewing for head coaching jobs.
In addition, secondary coach and defensive passing game coordinator Jim Leonhard, was set to interview with the Cowboys for their open defensive coordinator position, according to a report by Nick Kosmider of The Athletic.
“It’s always been a challenge to figure out the balance with that,” Payton said, “but our guys have done a great job with it. It’s not the first time it’s happened. It’s happened a number of times. You’ll be getting ready for a championship game, and you know you have a key member of your staff who is preparing to be the next head coach of the Lions. That’s why they are special, though. They can multi-task. They understand what their goal is, and they can still perform and do their job.”
Cornerback Pat Surtain II put it a little differently, however.
“When you’re winning,” Surtain said, “everything shines different. Everybody wants a part of that success.”
Meanwhile, a playoff game looms. The Broncos won’t know their opponent until after tomorrow’s wild-card game between the Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars is over, so that, too, requires a different approach.
“I just finished telling the team, ‘Hey, we’ve got four weeks at this stage, right now. We’ve got a month,'” Payton said this week, drawing a timeline that would end with the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8. “You really have a month left together as a team. There is change. Let’s make the most of it.”
Payton also described his demeanor as “salty” about Denver’s lackluster performance in the Broncos’ final win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and he wasn’t all that happy about the unit’s performance against the Kansas City Chiefs the week before.
“We’ve got to be sharper,” Payton said. “As we get to these next few games here, we’re going to see teams that can score. We’re going to see (good) defenses. … We’re gonna have to play better.”