The Broncos got the kind of win that can change a week, a division race and a mood all at once. Sunday’s 28-24 comeback over the Kansas City Chiefs delivered a first-place grip on the AFC West, extended Denver’s record-tying streak to 15 straight one-score wins and added another rare blemish to Patrick Mahomes’ resume: just the second loss in 82 games when the Chiefs were up by double digits in the fourth quarter.
Lost in all that drama was a milestone for Sean Payton. The Denver coach picked up the 200th combined win of his career, counting regular season and playoffs, becoming the 12th NFL coach to reach that number.
Payton got there in 320 games, which makes him the sixth-fastest coach to hit 200 wins. Only Don Shula, George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Bill Belichick and Paul Brown reached the mark in fewer games.
“I’ve been fortunate to have been a part of a lot of good players and a lot of good organizations, people that make that happen,” Payton said after the win, as reported by Susanna Weir of denverbroncos.com. “So, it was emotional.
The timing of the game and everything else. … There’s nothing like it.
I think the little bit of the curse is that I hate losing probably more than I like winning. So, this was a good win.”
Payton’s path to this point started long before Denver. He spent 1997-2005 as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys before taking over the Saints in 2006.
That first New Orleans season came with unusual circumstances, as the Saints were back in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina had forced them to relocate to San Antonio, TX, for 2005. Their “home” games were split between San Antonio and LSU’s Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA, and the team went 3-13.
Payton turned that around quickly. In 2006, he guided the Saints to a 10-6 record and an NFC Championship Game appearance, where they lost to the Chicago Bears.
From there, he built the kind of run that defined New Orleans football for nearly two decades. In 19 seasons as a head coach, his teams have finished an average of 1.8 in their division, a mark that is tied with Shula, Belichick, Andy Reid and Mike Tomlin among coaches with at least 200 wins.
His signature achievement in New Orleans came with the 2009 team, which started 13-0 and finished 13-3 before beating the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV.
After leaving the Saints in 2021 and spending 2022 in the broadcast booth, Payton returned to coaching with Denver in 2023. The Broncos had gone 44-70 under four different head coaches since winning Super Bowl 50 in 2015, but Payton immediately started shifting the direction of the franchise.
Denver went 8-9 in 2023, then followed with 10-7 and 14-3 seasons, with the 2025 campaign ending in an AFC Championship Game loss. Now at 6-2 through eight games in 2026, the Broncos have their fans thinking big again.
Payton’s next climb on the career wins list could come soon enough. Tomlin and Dan Reeves are both sitting at 201, Marty Schottenheimer is at 205, and a strong finish could push Payton past Chuck Noll at 209. Paul Brown’s 222 wins are next after that.
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Broncos Face A Stretch That Could Decide The AFC West
Denvers comeback win over the Chiefs pushed the Broncos to 6-2 and put them in first place in the AFC West, but the real test may be what comes next. A three-game stretch against the Panthers, Raiders and Steelers gives the Broncos a chance to separate themselves from the division pack, and it also offers a cleaner read on just how real this start is once the schedule turns from statement wins to week-to-week survival.
The matchup with Carolina looks like the kind Denver should handle if it keeps playing the way it has on both sides of the ball, while the Raiders game carries the usual division-game edge that can make even a favored team sweat. Pittsburgh is the one that feels most likely to tell the story of this stretch, because it brings a different kind of challenge and could force Denver to win in a much tighter, more physical game than the first two. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Biggest Win Came Down To An Unlikely Defender
The Broncos comeback win over the Chiefs had plenty of familiar faces in big moments, but one of the most important plays came from a defender who had barely been on the field all season. JL Skinner, a safety who had logged only two defensive snaps before this game, was pressed into action because injuries thinned out Denvers secondary and ended up playing nine defensive snaps in the 28-24 victory.
Skinners biggest contribution came at the goal line, where Denver needed every stop it could get to hang on. Sean Payton pointed to the depth of the defense and the way younger players stepped in when called upon, and Skinners night fit that theme perfectly, turning an unexpected opportunity into a play the Broncos will remember from one of their biggest wins. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Quarterback Depth Could Suddenly Matter In Baltimores Crisis
Baltimores quarterback situation has gone from shaky to urgent, with Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley both dealing with injuries and rookie Joe Fagnano now expected to start. ESPNs Adam Schefter has already pointed out that the Ravens could be forced to look outside the building for help, and that kind of scramble always sends teams around the league checking their own depth charts a little more closely.
For Denver, the conversation is less about need than about fit and timing. The Broncos have Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger on the roster, and Stidhams background could make him a logical name to monitor if Baltimore decides it has to act. Whether Denver would be willing to part with a quarterback at all is another question, but a Ravens crisis has a way of turning a quiet backup situation into one worth watching. [Read more 🡒]