ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — With one game remaining in the 2024 NFL season, the Broncos are still in control of their own destiny.
After falling to the Chargers and Bengals, Denver faces a Week 18 "win-and-in" matchup and the opportunity to clinch the team's first postseason berth since 2015.
And although the team was not able to clinch a spot on Saturday in Cincinnati, for Head Coach Sean Payton, learning how to overcome that adversity is a necessary step in allowing the team to get to where it wants to be.
"I told [the team] after the game, I said, 'This is part of it. We don't get to choose,'" Payton said Monday. "You guys have seen the big sign when you enter that locker room area. You have to keep fighting."
Denver is poised to do so as the team hosts the Chiefs on Sunday. And while there may be some uncertainty when it comes to who the team will see take the field for Kansas City in Week 18, Payton noted that the Broncos will be prepared for whatever situation they may encounter.
"I think you have to approach it like you're seeing starters at these positions," Payton said Monday. "... I think you're looking at the scheme relative to the game plan, and then planning on seeing the player that you're watching on film. If someone else is in that spot, then so be it."
The Broncos have not suffered three straight losses all season, and Payton has previously noted the team's ability to bounce back after facing defeat. As Denver looks to earn its 10th win on Sunday, Payton is confident the team will show that same resiliency.
"I like the grit on this team, and I like the leadership on this team," Payton said. "I think these guys will respond appropriately."
WR MARVIN MIMS JR. CONTINUES TO MAKE GAME-CHANGING PLAYS
In critical moments of Saturday's back-and-forth battle, wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. rose to the occasion. The second-year player recorded the first game of his career with multiple touchdown receptions, and both highlight-worthy plays came in moments when the Broncos really needed them.
Mims' first score of the night came with just under nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, as quarterback Bo Nix fired a 51-yard pass to the back of the end zone. The touchdown and ensuing extra point allowed Denver to tie the game before quarterback Joe Burrow responded with a rushing touchdown with 1:31 remaining.
Then, facing a fourth-and-1 on Cincinnati's 25-yard line with just 14 seconds on the clock, Nix lofted a pass to the end zone where Mims jumped to make a spectacular catch between two defenders.
"It gave us a chance to win," Mims said Saturday of the game-tying score.
And while the Broncos ultimately fell short in overtime, the standout performance by Mims continued to show his potential to make game-changing plays as his role has continued to expand this season for Denver.
"I think we've just seen his confidence grow as a receiver, as a runner [and] as a returner," Payton said. "It's great to see. Obviously, it was an explosive play the other night, and then the catch he makes at the end of the game was unbelievable. He's got that vertical speed. He works his tail off at it. I think he's good with the ball in his hands as a runner as well."
Mims — who noted that stepping up to make explosive plays is "a great feeling" — said that figuring out how to capitalize on those opportunities will only help the team moving forward.
"I really like our team," Mims said. "We just come out and battle. Offensively, I think we had probably like three drives [in the first half], so we knew when we got the ball, we had to make the most of it in the second half, and I feel like we did that for the most part."
