ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — There's plenty to celebrate in Broncos Country.
With a 38-0 win over the Chiefs, the Broncos have clinched their first playoff berth since 2015. And yet, as Head Coach Sean Payton explained Monday, there's only so much time that the team can enjoy the victory before it's time to turn the attention toward the Buffalo Bills.
"Yeah, getting in the tournament is part of it, but then [you] put your best foot forward in preparing to play your best game against a real good football team," Payton said. "That's where the focus is."
Payton said "a lot" of his Monday morning was spent considering how to help turn the page from a dominant win over the Chiefs and to avoid the distractions that can come with success.
"I probably — as the head coach — [pay] attention to, 'What are these things that can possibly distract from that process outside the building or even inside the building?'" Payton said. "The euphoria of 'We're back in the playoffs. We finally have gotten back in.' Trying to monitor that and understand how that may [have an impact] or try to prevent that from impacting the edge and the preparation."
Even less than 24 hours after the shutout performance, the Broncos seem to be avoiding those pitfalls and turning their attention toward the challenge that awaits in Buffalo.
"I don't think there really needs much to be said," tackle Mike McGlinchey said Monday. "I think everybody's of that mindset. I think everybody's ready to go. I think everybody understands that getting to the playoffs is nice, but we don't play football for consolation prizes and moral victories. You play to win. I think our head coach has hit that on the head ever since the game last night. I think that's going to be the message moving forward. We're really excited for the opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl."
McGlinchey also knows that once the playoff field is set, any team can go on a run. During his tenure with the 49ers, McGlinchey saw his team advance to at least the conference championship game when entering the postseason seeded anywhere from No. 1 to No. 6.
"All you've got to do is get in," McGlinchey said. "Anything can happen in these next couple weeks. … It's an exciting opportunity. It's something that we're ready for and an awesome opportunity to compete."
Defensive end Zach Allen saw evidence of their readiness on Monday, as he and his teammates were at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit and "already working toward Buffalo."
"We're excited for the challenge, and hopefully we do our job and stop [their offense]," Allen said.
JOSEPH DRAWING INTEREST AROUND THE LEAGUE
After leading one of the top defenses in the NFL, Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph is reportedly drawing attention from teams with head-coaching vacancies.
Payton said Monday he believes "that Vance is going to be a head coach again," and he said interview requests are a sign of a strong coaching staff.
"I think it's a great sign, No. 1 for Vance," Payton said. "He's smart. He's a great communicator. He has a very calm and — I would say — strong voice. His players play extremely hard for him. He's been a great addition to our staff."
Payton said teams should worry when their coaches aren't drawing attention from other teams, and he said "all of our focus is on Buffalo" as the hiring cycle begins.
The Broncos' head coach also noted that the best way to make an impression is to have one's unit deliver in big moments.
"The best interview happens early in the postseason," Payton said. "When you're winning, things are shinier. I think that goes for coaches, too, with being hired."
