Sean Payton says Broncos win over Chiefs didn’t have to be ‘aesthetically pleasing’

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton was very complimentary of the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.

It always feels better to tell the opponent good job after a win.

The Broncos took down the Chiefs 20-13 on Christmas, improving to 13-3 on the season. Denver controls its own destiny for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, simply needing a win next week or a ton of help this weekend.

When Sean Payton met with the media postgame, he was definitely happy Denver escaped Arrowhead with a victory. The game was tied 13-13 late, before a Bo Nix touchdown pass to RJ Harvey and one last defensive stop proved to be the difference.

“Man, hard fought win. I thought Kansas City did a good job,” Payton said. “It’s great to get that win. And you always have to remember this, man you’re playing the heart of a champion.”

Kansas City has won three Super Bowls in recent years, but was also playing without star QB Patrick Mahomes. Backup Gardner Minshew is out for the year, so the Broncos took on the little-known Chris Oladokun.

Still, for Sean Payton, he’s aware Kansas City has done a ton of winning recently before a down year this season.

“Andy (Reid) and this team, I don’t care who comes out of that locker room. This is a team that’s basically been at the top of our league for the better part of a (decade). And so there’s a ton of respect we have for what they’ve been able to accomplish,” Payton said.

And like a handful of Denver wins this year, it wasn’t particularly pretty. Payton got asked about that and shut the narrative down quickly.

“Here’s the thing, you ready? It doesn’t have to be aesthetically pleasing to be effective. I’ve said that before, and so that’s all that’s important,” Sean Payton said.

What’s important is the Broncos won a game they had to win. The defense, for the most part, was excellent. The offense chewed a lot of clock and Denver heads home with one last present to put under the tree.

A magical season rolls on, full of stressful moments, but also a plethora of triumphs.

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