Sean Payton not worried about Raiders drama, focused on Broncos

The Denver Broncos haven’t beaten the Las Vegas Raiders with Sean Payton as their head coach.

Unfortunately, that’s become the norm in Denver.

The Broncos have lost a stunning eight games in a row to their hated AFC West rival. The last time Denver was victorious over the Raiders, the COVID-19 pandemic hadn’t even happened yet. That was back on Dec. 29 of 2019.

And there’s drama in Vegas. Star wide receiver Davante Adams wants to be traded, and momentum is picking up that could happen. He’s unlikely to play on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High, even if he’s still on the Raiders roster, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

But when Payton was asked about it on Wednesday, he was dismissive of focusing on the problems happening in Sin City.

“We’re really worried about our own house,” Payton said. “You focus on your own team. Yeah, we pay attention to the other team’s injury report throughout the week. Our time and energy is in the building. Otherwise, I think it would be difficult.”

It’s the right call for Payton, as there’s nothing he can say to his team that will affect if Adams is out there or not. Still, he knows it’s important to stack victories in the AFC West.

“Look, it’s a division opponent. This is our first chance to play a division opponent. Last year, we finished 3-3 in the division. I can’t recall a team that’s accomplished anything worthwhile finishing .500 in your division,” Payton said.

It will be a big stretch for the Broncos, with the Raiders in town this Sunday and the Chargers next weekend. Payton appreciates how much Denver fans like beating the silver and black.

“You take a team like Las Vegas, certainly there’s a long storied history, especially with our fans. So it’s our job to play our best football this Sunday and get ready to play,” Payton said.

The Broncos need to snap the losing streak to the Raiders. And Sunday feels like a good opportunity to do just that.

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