Sean Payton has made the Broncos relevant. Now, can he make them potent?
A week after the NFL draft, the question hangs in the air: Did the Broncos improve enough offensively to transition from a 10-win team to taking the Chiefs out at the knees? The uncomfortable answer is maybe.
Zero. That is how many Broncos running backs have eclipsed 100 yards in 35 games under Payton.
Nada. That is how many Broncos tight ends have delivered 100 yards receiving in a game since 2019.
Snap those streaks and prepare to attend a home playoff game, Broncos Country, the first since Denver edged the New England Patriots in the 2015 AFC Championship.
What was so fascinating about the draft is that the Broncos adopted a macro approach. We are so used to seeing them address obvious needs because they were not any good. The way they navigated the process provided insight into how they view their roster. They added depth, selected for the future, especially with receiver Pat Bryant, defensive end Sai’vion Jones, edge rusher Que Robinson and tight end Caleb Lohner, who played 57 college snaps.
All four figure to make their biggest impact in 2026. Which is not bad. But how will that help a good team get better this season?
The takeaway: Payton and general manager George Paton like their roster more than we thought. They were willing to go best player available with cornerback Jahdae Barron rather than pluck running back TreVeyon Henderson with the 20th pick.
So, file this away now: For the Broncos to reach their potential, running back RJ Harvey must rush for at least 850 yards and six touchdowns in a pairing with Audric Estime, and Evan Engram has to play 14 games. The pair must snap the aforementioned 100-yard streaks. Anything less, and Bo Nix will spend five months ramming his head into a painfully low ceiling.
Minor league view: In ESPN’s oral history of Coors Field, owner Dick Monfort provided a revealing quote, saying, “Of all those thousands of games (attended), my fondest memories are of a sold-out ballpark on an 85-degree day with no humidity, a beautiful sunset, and 50,000 men, women and kids soaking in the timeless magic of iconic Coors Field.”
There it is. Monfort likens his seats above the home dugout to sitting on a porch sipping lemonade. The ballpark is more important than the product. You know where else that is the case? With every minor league team. They market the experience over the players and standings. And that helps explain the lack of accountability in the gruesome 6-25 start.
Get to the net: The Avs have a reputation for leaning too heavily into their skating, of becoming the Harlem Globetrotters on ice. Hopefully, they learned their lesson in Game 6. To upend the Stars, they have to pepper the net, win ugly. No one cares about pretty goals. It is all about avoiding penalties and creating pressure, meaning a Game 7 victory could hinge on the stick of Gabe Landeskog or Val Nichushkin.
Sanders fallout: Shedeur Sanders is making fast friends in Cleveland, talking to kids at a local high school upon his arrival in town. The hope is the draft slide humbled him. If he rolls up his sleeves and disappears into his work, he could be a viable starter late in the season or in 2026. But if he creates distractions, the Browns will not hesitate to cut him.
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