The Jacksonville Jaguars rolled into Mile High and walked out with a statement win - and a little extra motivation courtesy of Sean Payton.
Last week, the Denver Broncos head coach was praising the Jaguars after practice when he made a comment that, while seemingly innocuous, sparked a fire in Jacksonville’s locker room. “As you look at them and you watch the tape, it’s a smaller market, but you see a real good team,” Payton said.
On the surface, it was a compliment. But in the hyper-competitive world of the NFL, where teams are always looking for an edge - real or perceived - Jaguars head coach Liam Coen saw an opportunity. He turned Payton’s words into fuel heading into Sunday’s matchup, and his team responded with a 34-20 upset win in Denver.
Coen didn’t waste the moment. He opened his postgame press conference with a pointed message: “Great team effort. [I’m] just thankful that a small market team like us can come into a place like Mile High and get it done.”
That wasn’t just a mic drop - it was a message. The Jaguars heard what Payton said, and they used it.
To his credit, Payton addressed the comment on Monday during his media availability. He clarified that his intention was to shine a light on a team he believes hasn’t gotten the national attention it deserves.
“My press conference, it was very complimentary, and those guys are playing outstanding football,” Payton said. “That topic came up strictly because, ‘Hey, not enough of the country has seen how good these guys are playing.’”
Payton acknowledged that Coen’s move was a savvy one - the kind of motivational tactic any coach worth his salt would use. “That was a good job by Liam.
He was looking for a rallying cry,” Payton said. “Obviously, if you were listening to the press conference, the intention was strictly, ‘Hey quietly these guys are sitting here right near the top of the AFC, they’re ready to win their division.’”
He even pointed to his own experience coaching in a smaller market, referencing his 16-year tenure in New Orleans. “I spent 16 years at a small market. It was just a way for a coach to take it and use it to his advantage.”
That’s exactly what Coen did - and it worked.
The loss drops Denver to 12-3, a tough pill to swallow considering the Broncos are still very much in the hunt for the AFC West crown and the conference’s top seed. With two weeks left in the regular season, the margin for error just got slimmer.
Now, the focus shifts to a critical Thursday night showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs - a game that could define the Broncos’ postseason path. If Denver wants to keep its hopes of a first-round bye alive, it starts with bouncing back in a big way against a familiar rival.
As for Jacksonville? They’re not just a “small market” team anymore. They’re a team that just walked into one of the toughest environments in football and came out with a win - and a little extra swagger.