Broncos Hit Lucky 13, But Sean Payton Has His Eyes on a Bigger Prize
The Denver Broncos keep stacking wins, and now they’ve hit a milestone no one else in the league has reached this season: 13 victories. Their 20-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football didn’t just tighten their grip on the AFC West - it also etched head coach Sean Payton’s name into a pretty exclusive club.
With this latest win, Payton becomes just the second head coach in NFL history to post five seasons with at least 13 wins. The only coach ahead of him?
Bill Belichick, who did it seven times during his legendary run with the Patriots. That’s rarefied air, and Payton knows it - but he’s not letting it go to his head.
“There is nothing like winning,” Payton said after the game. “When I heard that, I had trouble figuring out which were the 13-win teams. We had some other teams that were 12- or 11-win teams.”
That’s classic Payton - focused on the big picture, not the record books. He made a point to credit the players and coaches who’ve helped him reach this point, including members of his current Broncos staff who’ve been part of the journey across multiple teams and seasons.
“I have been fortunate to have really good players and real good coaches,” he added. “Some of them who are right here that have been a part of all of those wins.
Obviously, Bill is good company. Let’s keep it going.”
Broncos Still in a Fight for the West
Despite the 13 wins, the Broncos haven’t locked up the AFC West just yet. That’s how competitive things are this season. With one game left on the schedule, Denver is still in a dogfight to secure the division title.
If the second-place Los Angeles Chargers (currently sitting at 11-4) take care of business against the Texans on Saturday, it’ll set up a high-stakes Week 18 showdown between the Broncos and Chargers - winner takes the West.
That’s not exactly the scenario you expect when you’ve only lost three games all year, but it speaks to the level of play in the division. For Denver, it means there's no room to take the foot off the gas.
Payton’s Legacy: Regular Season Wins vs. Postseason Glory
This season has been a reminder of what Payton can do when given the reins of a talented roster. But for all the regular season success - and there’s been plenty - the postseason is where legacies are truly cemented.
Belichick’s seven 13-win seasons came with six Super Bowl rings. Payton, meanwhile, is still chasing his second. His lone championship came back in 2009 with the New Orleans Saints - a 13-3 squad that finished the job in February.
This Broncos team has shown flashes of that same blend of resilience and execution. But the path to the Super Bowl is never easy, especially in an AFC loaded with elite quarterbacks and battle-tested defenses.
Still, the foundation is there. The Broncos have the wins, the coaching pedigree, and a defense that knows how to close out games - just ask the Chiefs. Now it’s about finishing the job in Week 18, locking down the division, and shifting focus to the only thing that really matters in January: surviving and advancing.
Payton’s been here before. He knows what it takes. And if this team keeps playing the way it has, they might just give him another shot at the ultimate prize.