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The Denver Broncos are on a roll. Winning their last four games, Sean Payton's squad has surprised everyone with a late-season push to place themselves on the cusp of a playoff spot. The team currently holds a 9-5 record for second place in the AFC West, and a win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday would put them in the postseason for the first time in nearly a decade.
A lot of factors play into the Broncos' recent performances, including their head coach. Just in his second year at the helm, Payton has ensured that the Broncos will finish with a winning season, something the franchise hasn't experienced in years as well. He's also transformed the team's defense into a league-leading unit, giving problems to opposing teams on a weekly basis. To be frank, these reasons are exactly why the tenured mastermind should be a frontrunner for Coach of the Year.
Of course, names such as Dan Campbell and Kevin O'Connell also come to mind when thinking of the award, but this article will go into detail as to why Payton's impact on the Broncos puts him up there as a strong candidate.
The Broncos' resurgence
For years, the Broncos continuously held below-500 seasons. They've only had one winning year post-Peyton Manning era, and from 2017-2023, the team's overall record was 43-72. While Sean Payton was already the head coach in 2023, one could argue that it makes the current resurgence even sweeter for him.
Last year, the Broncos were 8-9, but they already showed signs of competitiveness under Payton, like when their five-game winning streak in the middle of the season occurred. That streak included wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills, by the way.
Prior to this season, the draft selection of Bo Nix (and the acquisition of Zach Wilson) made Denver's QB room the only head-turning aspect of their offseason. Add in how the team decided to move on from Russell Wilson, Justin Simmons, plus several other key players and basically, the Broncos were expected to have a quiet 2024.
It was quite an up-and-down road initially, as Denver found itself at .500 by Week 10. And then, the late-season push began. The Broncos blew out the Atlanta Falcons and followed that up with victories over the Las Vegas Raiders and the Cleveland Browns to enter their bye week on a high note. Fully rested by Week 15, Denver came away with a one-sided win against the Indianapolis Colts.
Under Payton's mentorship, Nix was able to shrug off a rough season start and has taken his play up a notch, throwing a total of 12 touchdowns in the last five games. What's even more impressive is how Payton's squad has the ability to emerge victorious even if all the boxes aren't ticked off properly. Take last weekend's game against the Colts, for example. Nix committed three turnovers and the Broncos' offense managed just 202 total yards, but they still won by 18 points. What bailed them out? Simply, their defense.
Denver's defense is elite
Defense is the identity of this Broncos team. They give up just 17.6 opponent points and 1.7 opponent touchdowns per game, leading the league in both categories. The endzone protection is even more emphasized by how foes average a measly 42.11% red zone TD percentage against the Broncos.
Denver also allows just 98.6 opponent rushing yards, putting their run defense in the top five among NFL teams, per ESPN. While the amount of aerial yards they give up could use improvement, there have been plenty of bright spots in the Broncos' pass defense, such as their pass rush. Spearheaded by edge rusher Nik Bonitto — who already has 11.5 sacks to his name — the Broncos lead the league with 49 team sacks. Denver is also the sixth-best team in forcing opponent turnovers (23) and interceptions caught (14).
One doesn't even have to look far back to see how much havoc the Broncos have been causing. As mentioned earlier, the defense was the primary reason for last Sunday's win over the Colts. Denver had five takeaways, including a late-game pick-6 from Bonitto that sealed the deal once and for all. Go back two weeks and it was practically the same story against Cleveland, as cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian returned an interception to win it for the Broncos.
Compare all of this to last year, when the Broncos had a 22nd-ranked pass defense in addition to a near-bottom run defense. They also allowed 24.3 opponent points per game back then.
The decision to keep defensive coordinator Vance Joseph for another season has paid dividends for Sean Payton. And the two of them molding a struggling defensive unit into one of the league's finest has been the primary driver for the team's overall turnaround. Safe to say, Payton deserves plenty of recognition and is no doubt a worthy frontrunner for Coach of the Year.
