Broncos ‘headed in the right direction’ after fourth win in a row

After starting 0-3 and then getting to 1-5, four weeks later the Denver Broncos are back to .500.

5-5 never felt so good.

Thanks to four wins in a row - three of them to the Chiefs, Bills and Vikings - the Broncos are actually fighting for a Wild Card playoff spot. It’s crazy.

But while fans are hyped and players get another “Club Dub” celebration in the locker room, head coach Sean Payton is still pumping the brakes. Payton has said many times there’s a fine line between a groove and a rut.

Well the Broncos are certainly not in a rut, but a “groove” is a little premature still.

“Four wins in a row, yeah, we’ve got some momentum going. I don’t know if I’m ready to groove yet,” Sean Payton said after the game. “This team still needs to improve. That’s how we have to coach and how we have to practice. And I think we’ll do that.”

But Payton certainly wasn’t without compliments for his players, starting off with Courtland Sutton, who had the go-ahead touchdown pass with just a minute to go.

“That was huge. That was a gutsy drive,” Payton said of Wilson’s lead before turning his attention to Sutton. “He’s a big target and a great teammate. He’s doing a really good job for us.”

After the game, Wilson and Sutton spoke to NBC’s Melissa Stark about their connection on that play. But before he would answer about the touchdown pass, Wilson knew where to put the praise.

“First of all, our defense was lights out, man. They were unbelievable,” he said, noting their elite play ever since the second half of the Bears game. “But this man right here [pointing to Sutton], that’s one thing I figured out, this boy can make some plays!”

Sutton pinned the connection on a locker room-wide belief in their teammates.

“We have faith and confidence in each other, man,” Sutton said. “We get our backs to the wall and all we do is keep fighting, keep punching, keep swinging. Our defense played their butts off. They gave us a lot of opportunities to go out there and stay in the game.”

And as corny as “belief and confidence in each other” may sound, Payton certainly believes it for this team.

After all, the stat sheet would show Minnesota winning the game, the coach acknowledged, if not for the team having confidence it could go out and win it in the final two minutes.

“With each win you gain more confidence,” Payton said, adding that you find out a lot about people when you’re down - aka, being 1-5 after six games. “You get to see the grit. I’m proud of the fight and the way these guys have prepared.”

But confidence doesn’t come from a little luck. It comes from demonstrated ability - which the Broncos have now done four games in a row.

“It’s nice to feel that in the locker room right now. There’s nothing like winning,” Payton said. “I’m happy for these players. I’m happy to see these guys sharing this success. They had a tough season a year ago and many of these players have had a tough couple of seasons. I want them to win.”

But like his coach, Wilson knows the team isn’t exactly where it needs to be yet.

“We haven’t done anything yet. We haven’t done anything,” he told Stark on NBC. “But we’re heading in the right direction, and that’s the exciting part.”

Broncos/NFL News

Broncos vs. Vikings: 3 takeaways from Denver's 21-20 win | Denver Broncos | denvergazette.com
Here are three takeaways from the game as the Broncos won their fourth straight to move to 5-5.

Russell Wilson's comeback is complete, as he leads Broncos to dramatic win over Vikings
The Broncos and Vikings played a thriller on Sunday night.

Ja’Quan McMillian has always found the ball. In the NFL, he’s had to find his voice - The Athletic
After intercepting 22 passes in high school and 12 more in college, the Broncos' undrafted DB has continued to find the ball in the NFL.

'We're all feeling the momentum': WR Courtland Sutton on the Broncos' four-game win streak
Wide receiver Courtland Sutton checks in with team reporter Sydney Jones following the Broncos' 21-20 win over the Vikings to discuss winning four straight games, the team's resilience and more.

Broncos win fourth straight on dramatic TD vs. Vikings: How Denver’s defense became a turnover machine - The Athletic
The Broncos won their fourth straight game, improving to 5-5 on the season. The Vikings fall to 6-5.

Broncos coach Sean Payton on Denver's three-game win streak: A 'fine line between a groove and a rut'
After Denver's 24-22 win over the Buffalo Bills, Broncos head coach Sean Payton says there's a "fine line between a groove and a rut."

Thompson: Brock Purdy has some big-time energy — and it’s perfect for this 49ers team - The Athletic
We've now seen enough to know Brock Purdy won't be shook in the moment. He showed it again in Sunday's win over the Buccaneers.

Separation season: Which teams helped/hurt their playoff chances Sunday?
In a season rife with major quarterback injuries, the playoff battle has become a war of attrition, as well. NFL.com senior national columnist Judy Battista takes a look at who's separating themselves in the postseason race -- for better or worse.

Jets HC Robert Saleh declines to name Week 12 starting QB after benching Zach Wilson in loss to Bills
Despite making a change at quarterback during Sunday afternoon's loss, head coach Robert Saleh said post-game that he has not decided which of his QBs will be the starter for next week's game, and will make the decision Monday.

Browns set to sign veteran QB Joe Flacco to practice squad
Former Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Joe Flacco is set to sign with the Browns practice squad on Monday morning, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday night.

Chargers HC Brandon Staley defends defensive play-calling in wake of 23-20 loss to Packers: 'So you don't have to ask that again'
After yet another game in which his team lost by less than a score and gave up significant yardage on defense, head coach Brandon Staley was emphatic that he has no plans to make changes in his play-calling at this point.

2023 NFL season, Week 11: What We Learned from Sunday's games
The Texans found a way to win on a day when C.J. Stroud didn't match his usual form. Around The NFL breaks down what you need to know from all of Sunday's action in Week 11 of the 2023 NFL season.