close
close

Denver Broncos vet hints at why Sean Payton wasn’t happy after Panthers win

Denver Broncos vet hints at why Sean Payton wasn’t happy after Panthers win

Sean Payton works hard to create a winning culture at the Denver Broncos.

After the Broncos’ 28-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Payton reportedly let his team do it in the post-game locker room meeting. Payton was very unhappy with the way the Broncos finished that game, especially the turnovers.

This could be a key part of Payton’s push to establish a winning culture in Denver. But what exactly does that mean?

“I think it’s just the belief that you can get it done week to week,” Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey said Monday via conference call.

Winning teams in the National Football League typically have a common denominator. One of them is a trust so high that it becomes a belief. And maybe even more than faith.

But if a winning culture isn’t easy to define, it becomes extremely difficult to achieve. However, Payton seems to have defined it for his players and coaches.

“That’s what a winning culture is,” McGlinchey said. “It’s when you step on the field that you believe and know that you’re going to win the game, based on the preparation that you have, based on the people that you have in the building, based on the plan. And I think we been building on that, not just this year, but since last year, to try to make that part of who we are… And I think we’re doing a pretty good job with that.”

The Broncos turned the ball over twice in Week 8, and all of Carolina’s fourteen points came as a result. The mood in the Broncos locker room afterward was more like that of a loss than a 14-point win.

McGlinchey and his veteran teammates understand the high expectations and standard Payton is trying to instill in the Broncos. That’s a good thing because it means Payton has been able to define the goal in a comprehensive way that all players can agree on.

“I think that’s part of the winning culture that we’ve been talking about,” McGlinchey said. “You have to recognize that if you don’t play your best, you can never be satisfied. I don’t think we did that yesterday.”

There were missed assignments and nuanced blunders that the average viewer might not have noticed during the Broncos’ performance in Week 8. However, the players and coaches know exactly what they were.

Some of the obvious ones that were there for all to see, besides the turnovers, were the dropped passes on foul. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix passed for 284 yards and three touchdowns, but his numbers could have been much higher if players like Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Troy Franklin and Courtland Sutton had held up their end better.

We could have been talking about a 42-point blowout. A real zero citizen. But a truly great team wouldn’t have let those opportunities slip through their fingers. That’s McGlinchey’s point.

The Broncos’ next three opponents: the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City ChiefsAnd Atlanta Falcons – will not be the ones to squander such opportunities. The Broncos need to better protect themselves against such negatives, and also be prepared to take every opportunity to sink their teeth into these opponents.

“We have an opportunity here with this success we’ve had over the last five or six weeks where we’re in a position to play in some bigger games. We’ll have to be better than yesterday and where it matters a little more is going to do,” McGlinchey said. “Every turnover is going to matter a little more, or every missed assignment is going to matter a little more. We have to take that next step to be one of the teams that plays in the postseason.”

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don’t miss news and analysis! Take a moment, sign up for our free newsletter and get the latest Broncos news delivered to your inbox every day!

Going back to the post-match dissatisfaction, it’s actually the sign of a maturing team. A lesser team would have celebrated a 14-point victory over an NFL opponent like it was the Super Bowl.

Instead, the Broncos were angry and got the emotional complexion of their head coach. That 14-point win wasn’t good enough because of the play and the points the Broncos left on the grass of Empower Field.

“I think it goes for the whole team. If you don’t get better, you’re going to get worse,” McGlinchey said. “That’s something that Coach Payton absolutely lives by, and it’s something we all have to live by.”

None of this should detract from the progress the Broncos have shown in recent weeks. Since McGlinchey returned to his post at right tackle after a four-week stint on injured reserve, the Broncos offense has operated at a different level.

Nix has looked much more comfortable, especially in Week 8, and McGlinchey sees that as a harbinger of things to come for the Broncos.

“I think the boys have made tremendous progress over the last two games,” McGlinchey said. “Winning five out of six is ​​a pretty big deal in this league and you’re definitely starting to see Bo getting really comfortable with that. He’s starting to be able to produce a lot of good plays for our offense.” and) the running backs are doing a great job… And obviously on the offensive line, we’re trying to improve, regardless of whether we’re a veteran group or not.”

Gary Kubiak had his “Iron Sharpens Iron” mantra that the Broncos rallied behind in 2015. One of Payton’s maxims seems to be, “If you don’t get better, it gets worse.” And McGlinchey, as an experienced leader, will do his part to ensure the Broncos don’t decline as the season progresses.

“Like I said, if you don’t get better, it’s going to get worse,” he said. “You have to hold yourself to a higher standard to play your best football when you need to. And that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

It’s an exciting time to be a Broncos fan. This team is more than relevant. On most NFL power rankings, the Broncos are just outside the top 10.

However, the Broncos are more concerned about the AFC West standings and conference seedings. The Broncos enter November against three high-quality opponents and are the epitome of relevance.

At 5-3, this team has a chance to make some noise in the AFC. Since Super Bowl 50, we’ve seen the Broncos flash and make short runs, but they always come back to earth.

If the results are going to be different this year — if the Broncos are going to break their eight-year playoff drought — they can’t wither as they face two top-level AFC rivals in consecutive weeks. . We’ll find out soon enough if McGlinchey’s words are the words of a wise but ultimately ineffective veteran or if they are the mark of a team that has relearned how to win.

“I think a winning culture is more than just winning football games,” McGlinchey said. “It’s showing up, preparing the right way, taking care of your body the right way, asking the right questions, studying on film what you need to study. It’s just an obsession with doing the right thing, which translates into winning football matches.”

Follow Denver Broncos on SI/Mile High Huddle X And Facebook and subscribe on YouTube for daily Broncos livestream podcasts!