Sean Payton says Broncos getting No. 1 seed, hosting playoff games is ‘significant’

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton just capped off one of the best seasons of his career.

Payton led the Broncos to a 14-3 record and they officially clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs on Sunday.

Denver topped the Los Angeles Chargers 19-3 in a game that wasn’t particularly exciting, but the Broncos did enough to get the job done.

Cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian had a pick-six early, the only touchdown of the game, Wil Lutz made four field goals and Denver will have a bye next weekend.

They’ll wait and see who they play in the NFL’s version of the “elite eight,” but Sean Payton postgame emphasized how critical it is the Broncos are already through to the next round.

“When people ask, what’s the benefit of the one seed? Many will say it’s the rest. I personally think it’s the elimination of a game that you don’t have to play,” Payton said.

That means the Broncos will either host the Chargers, Bills, Texans, Steelers or Ravens at Empower Field at Mile High on Jan. 17 or 18. It’ll depend on how the bracket shakes out, but Payton is elated to be suiting up in front of the home crowd.

“Our fans were fantastic and man, I’m proud of our team. And all you can do is play them. You can’t control when you’re playing,” Payton said. “We had a lot to gain tonight and to be able to host the divisional round is significant.”

If Denver wins that divisional game the AFC Championship would be at home with a shot to go to the Super Bowl for a ninth time in franchise history.

The defense was great on Sunday, but the offense struggled. Sean Payton knows they have to make some adjustments in the coming days.

“We gotta clean some things up and we will,” Payton said.

Regardless, what a turnaround for the Broncos. The last decade was rough, but things are firmly back on track. Winning 14 games this year isn’t something even the most optimistic supporters predicted.

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