Sean Payton says Broncos ‘smart enough’ to not look too far ahead

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has confidence his team won’t look too far ahead.

Yes, the Broncos are in great playoff position at 7-5 and currently holding the No. 7 seed in the AFC. And yes, they have a very winnable game upcoming with the 3-8 Cleveland Browns heading to town for Monday Night Football.

Broncos Country is eager for the team to snap its postseason drought that goes all the way back to 2015, but Payton is keeping them locked in on the task at hand.

After practice on Wednesday, Payton was asked how about he prevents his players from getting out in front of themselves. Essentially, peering down the road rather than being focused on simply beating the Browns.

“I think it’s weekly. I think part of that is the team itself. We didn’t feel like we played necessarily our best first half last week and yet we came back,” Payton said.

Denver was down 13-9 at halftime to the Raiders, before storming ahead for a 29-19 win in Las Vegas. That’s the mindset Payton wants to see. It’s cliche, but taking it one game at a time.

“You really segment the season. It’s the next game, the significance of the next game. It’s the message that takes place throughout the week, the ongoing message,” Payton said.

If the Broncos can win to get to 8-5, their playoff percentage will only go up. Still, Cleveland is coming off an upset of Pittsburgh, and looking to pull another one at Empower Field at Mile High next Monday.

“I think they’re smart enough to understand the margin for error in our league, period. All these guys are, they’re professionals. It’s really focusing in on us and what we’re doing,” Payton said.

It’s the right message from Sean Payton, and hopefully one his players are taking to heart.

Anything can happen in the NFL any week, and the Broncos can’t get trapped by the Browns and have a slip up that significantly hinders their postseason chances.