The Denver Broncos were knocked out by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the NFL playoffs last season, but one could argue that 2024 was a successful campaign for coach Sean Payton.

The Broncos were coming off a 5-12 season when they hired Payton in 2023. The veteran coach quickly overhauled the roster and helped the team improve by three wins in his first season. Payton then found his quarterback in last year’s NFL draft, selecting Bo Nix in the first round.

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Denver went 10-7 in Payton’s second season and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2015. The 31-7 loss in Buffalo was a disappointment, but overall, Payton’s squad took a huge step forward in 2024.

“It was outstanding,” Broncos general manager George Paton said of the job Payton did following the 2024 season. “Just a tremendous job leading this team, instilling a mindset, a culture. I think when he came in the building there was a confidence level. So that’s Sean’s secret sauce.

“We had some stretches. We started the season 0-2. Everyone thought we were done, then we win three in a row. Him being able to get that out of our team… We had a stretch. Kansas City, we missed the field goal. It’s really tough for a coach to go in the locker room after a game like that and Sean in about three minutes galvanized the team, and we won four in a row. He’s done an incredible job. He’s an incredible leader. Obviously, a bright football mind, and we’re very lucky to have him.”

Denver has improved by at least two wins in each of Payton’s first two seasons with the club. If that trend continued in 2025, the Broncos would be looking at a 12-win season. Of course, each season brings new challenges and new opponents with new players. So there’s not a set number of wins that would quantify what “success” could look like for Denver this season, but the Broncos are continuing to trend up.

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After reaching the playoffs for the first time since Peyton Manning retired, the next goal is to win the AFC West (which they also haven’t done since Manning retired). It will be hard to build on last season’s win total in a tough division, but if anyone can do it, it’s Payton. Denver certainly landed the right man for the job in 2023.

Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Broncos GM George Paton reveals Sean Payton’s secret sauce