Sean Payton says Broncos Country ‘won us the game tonight’ after insane finish

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton lived what millions around the country watched.

Broncos fans showed up in a massive way in their stunning 28-24 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon.

Down 24-13 entering the fourth quarter, things looked bleak. But like this team always does — they found a way.

Rookie running back Jonah Coleman scored with 1:56 to go to put the Broncos up by four points. For a moment, it looked like too much time for the legendary Patrick Mahomes.

The Kansas City QB led the Chiefs all the way to the one-yard line where they had second-and-goal with 15 seconds left. But after a Mahomes incompletion and Kenneth Walker III getting stuffed, it was fourth-and-goal with four seconds remaining.

That’s when Chiefs offensive lineman Jaylon Moore committed a false start penalty, moving K.C. back to the six-yard line. Mahomes was sacked on the final play by Malcolm Roach, sealing the Broncos win and moving them to first place in the AFC West.

Postgame, Sean Payton was quick to credit Broncos Country — even saying they helped earn the victory.

“If you could tangibly point to a crowd win, if you could tangibly point and say the false start. I mean, just from a play-caller’s standpoint, the one to the six, and you’re in another zip code with plays. That was huge,” Sean Payton said.

With the Denver offense struggling in the third quarter, in which they gained only nine yards, some “boos” came out of the stands. But Payton knows it’s only because the fans are educated and want the Broncos to prevail.

“There’s that noise after a failed third-down, but we’re still with you,” Payton said. “I think this is a wonderful home crowd.”

That eventually led to so much noise on the fourth-down from the one that a Chiefs TD was wiped off the board. Payton circled back and acknlowedged Broncos Country one more time.

“You feel their disappointment with that reaction, as much as anything else, and it’s pro sports. But man, it’s a special place. It’s something else. They won us the game tonight,” Sean Payton said.

Denver moved all the way up to second in the AFC standings and, as mentioned, now lead the division. It was a huge swing in the standings, one that everyone will remember if they get home-field in the playoffs and eventually reach the Super Bowl.

The players made the plays, but the crowd didn’t go unnoticed by Sean Payton. That’s a massive compliment to the best fans in football.

Related

Brittany Mahomes blasts the refs that erased Chiefs’ game-winning TD against the BroncosRoach’s historic sack has Broncos one-score magic echoing Manning’s ColtsBo Nix ‘extremely thrilled’ after epic Broncos win, but ‘ready to go home and go to sleep’Sean Payton nearly went full Bob Knight — instead, he joined an elite list of coachesColeman’s huge play gives Broncos comeback win for first placeBroncos-Chiefs inactives: Waddle, Allen, Jones all good to go