DENVER — There's more work to be done.
In the immediate aftermath of the Broncos' 28-14 win over the Carolina Panthers, Head Coach Sean Payton knew the Broncos did enough to earn a victory.
And he also suggested the Broncos must play at a higher level to find the same result against future opponents.
"In losses, you can miss some things that are really good, and then in wins, if you're not careful, you can miss some things that have to be cleaned up," Payton said Sunday. "So we'll try to do that tomorrow and then flip the page for Baltimore and get ready for a real good team."
Payton pointed to the Broncos' two turnovers as one area for needed improvement, and he also pointed to a desire to close the game stronger defensively.
"I wish we would've finished better," Payton said. "… We're going to see a lot better teams."
As the Broncos near a road date against the Baltimore Ravens, Payton said the Broncos are set to face "a much better team" in Week 9. And while the Broncos' battle with Baltimore is a big opportunity for Denver, it's also a game in which mistakes may hurt Denver more than they did on Sunday against Carolina.
"I said to [the team], 'We're going to play in bigger games than this,'" Payton said. "'But in bigger games than this, some of those [mistakes] are going to cost us.' So we have to take care of that."
Payton said the Broncos are "still not playing our best football," which may be a good sign for a team that has already posted four wins of at least 14 points this season. Denver has won five of its last six games, but the Broncos will face a different challenge against two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in Week 9.
"That is why we have to get back to work," outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper said. "I do not feel like we put our best out there [today]. I still feel like we have not played our best football yet. We have to make sure we go back and clean up some things to get right on point, because we have two big games ahead of us. We have to make sure we are ready for them."
The Broncos will look to build on their offense's best scoring output of the season and a defensive showing that featured stops on nine consecutive possessions, but quarterback Bo Nix knows the race to improve is unending.
"A win is a win, especially in this league," Nix said. "They are tough to come by. I thought it was a good home win. Every game you go back to the film and you find things and you are like, 'We were close there. We were close here. We have to be able to do this here. I think that is part of the game.' That is why you keep playing. That is why it is a long season. We just have to keep battling that and keep finding ways to get better."
The Broncos have earned a chance to play in a big game. Now, they'll aim to live up to that standard.
