Now that the Broncos have punched a ticket to the playoff party, coach Sean Payton isn’t thinking about the playoffs — or preparing for them.
“We’re not preparing for the playoffs right now,” Payton said. “We have three goals. Win the division. The first goal is not make the playoffs. . . . What I said yesterday, first goal: win the division. Goal two: best seed. Goal three: Super Bowl. None of those goals have been accomplished. We’re focused on Jacksonville. Goal one is not make the playoffs.”
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They’re in position to win the division, soon. With the Patriots losing on Sunday to the Bills, the top seed is a very realistic second goal.
Beyond that, it depends on what they do in the playoffs. The task becomes easier, of course, if they don’t have to play in the wild-card round, and if they’re guaranteed home games for the divisional round and, if they win, the conference championship.
Regardless, the Broncos have won 11 games in a row, after starting 1-2. They finish with the Jaguars, Chiefs, and Chargers. And the biggest test could be the next game, when 10-4 Jacksonville comes to town.