Sean Payton wrote on his practice notes “get to 10” for the Broncos

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is focused on his team getting its 10th win of the season.

If they do that, the Broncos are in the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Yes, Denver let a golden opportunity slip away last Thursday night with a meltdown in Los Angeles against the Chargers, but that’s a thing of the past. The Broncos still control their own destiny for the postseason — and one more victory will do the trick.

On Tuesday, Payton was asked about his message to the players this week, and it’s pretty simple. Beat the Bengals on Saturday and get to double-digits in the win column.

“I put a note, we’ve got to get to 10. That’s the first thing, we’ve got to get to 10. Let’s focus on that,” Payton said.

The Bengals, Colts and Dolphins are all 7-8 and chasing the 9-6 Broncos. If Cincinnati can beat Denver this weekend, they’ll obviously hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Still, Denver is in a great spot, a chance they can’t squander with a late season collapse. That’s something a star wide receiver reminded the guys after practice on Tuesday.

“All of our preparation, everything we do, Courtland (Sutton) just said it best. We put ourselves in this position, let’s take advantage of it,” Payton said.

Payton was asked about the message to earn the 10th win and where he wrote it down.

“Just right here, get to 10,” Payton said while pointing to his practice notes.

And after Payton’s note on his play-call sheet to “RUN IT!!!” against the Chargers went viral, a reporter asked the head coach if the cameras at the press conference could zoom in on “get to 10.”

“If you’re a network you can,” Payton said with a laugh.

Sean Payton seemed in high spirits early in the week, but there’s no question the pressure is on the Broncos to secure a 10th win. Their next chance comes in just four days on the road at the Bengals.

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