Broncos Hold the NFL’s Best Record - But They Know the Job’s Not Finished
The Denver Broncos are sitting atop the NFL with the best record in the league - a sentence that hasn’t been true in nearly a decade. And with just a few weeks left in the regular season, they’re in prime position to clinch their first AFC West title since 2015.
The path to the No. 1 seed in the AFC is right in front of them, and with it comes a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. But don’t expect any champagne just yet.
Head coach Sean Payton isn’t letting his team get ahead of itself. The message this week? Stay locked in, stay grounded, and don’t let the noise - good or bad - become a distraction.
“It’s an important game. There’ll be bigger,” Payton told reporters.
“Same approach as last week. I don’t spend a lot of time on that.
More time and energy on how to approach this game, their strengths, and how do we handle and play this game?”
That’s the mindset of a coach who’s been deep into January football before. And it’s a message that’s clearly resonating inside the Broncos’ locker room.
Home-Field Advantage? It’s Real in Denver
This week’s matchup comes at home - and that matters. The Broncos have turned Empower Field at Mile High into a real advantage again, both because of the altitude and the energy in the stands. Payton, who’s coached on the other side of that noise, knows exactly how disruptive it can be for opposing offenses.
“The crowd noise - and it used to always be when they go to the line - the crowd noise when [the quarterback] enters the huddle, one communicating to 10, it’s amazing,” Payton said. “I’ve been on the other side of that, where someone didn’t hear it in the huddle, so that noise factor prior to the huddle beginning is a big thing.”
The Broncos will need every bit of that edge against a red-hot Jacksonville Jaguars team that’s won five straight and is playing some of its best football of the season. Trevor Lawrence and company are no easy out, but Denver has shown it can rise to the moment - especially at home.
Bo Nix: “It Feels Like We’re Getting It Back”
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has been at the center of Denver’s resurgence, and he’s embracing the moment. The Broncos’ offense has found rhythm, the defense is flying around, and most importantly, this team is winning meaningful games in December - something that hasn’t been said in a while.
“We’ve been able to put something together this year,” Nix said. “It’s just a great home environment. It’s one of the best atmospheres in the entire country, not just professionally.”
Nix added that the vibe around the team feels different - like something is building.
“It feels like each game is a playoff game, and each game has a lot of importance to it. So, having a home crowd and playing at home, you obviously wouldn’t want to go on the road in this situation.
It’s extremely exciting. It feels like we’re getting it back to what it was back in its heyday.
I think it’s back to what it should be.”
This Team Isn’t Taking Anything for Granted
For many of the players on this roster, this is their first real taste of playoff contention. And they’re not letting the moment slip by.
The Broncos have been through lean years - they know what it’s like to be playing out the string in December with nothing on the line. That’s not the case this year.
Veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton put it best.
“In those years where there are no playoff implications tied to the last three games of the season, you’re literally just going out there to represent the organization to the highest level you can, to represent yourself, to represent your teammates, to play for your brother next to you,” Sutton said. “All of those things are still implied moving forward with the situation we’re in right now. However, you put on top of that the fact that we’re in the position that we’re in in terms of the rankings and the standings… it gives you that little bit more juice to stay consistent.”
Sutton also emphasized the importance of tuning out the hype and staying focused on what’s gotten them here.
“I think the biggest thing for us is making sure that we don’t become drunk off the situation of ‘look what we’ve done’ and listen to the different people who want to give us the pat on the backs - which aren’t many, which is fine,” he said. “Not, as they say, drink the Kool-Aid. You have to just do what we’ve been doing.”
And what they’ve been doing is showing up every week, stacking wins, and putting themselves in position to make real noise in January.
The Road Ahead
The Broncos know what’s at stake. Every game from here on out carries playoff implications, and the margin for error is razor-thin in a crowded AFC. But with the best record in the league, a home-field advantage that’s finally living up to its name, and a team that’s bought in from top to bottom, Denver isn’t just dreaming about the postseason - they’re preparing to host it.
The message inside the building is clear: keep the main thing the main thing. And right now, that means beating the Jaguars and proving once again that this Broncos team is for real.
The rest of the league? They’re officially on notice.