Good morning, Broncos Country!
The storylines for the Denver Broncos opener are thoroughly rich.
It’s the first game of the season, against a hated division rival, on the road, on Monday Night Football, with their star quarterback returning from injury, against an opponent looking to rebound from a tough season, while Denver looks to start strong after a very good previous season.
In other words, bring on Sept. 14 in Kansas City.
“I think it’s going to be really cool, definitely get the season going,” Broncos defensive lineman Zach
Allen said to the media earlier this week. “It’s good we have at least a little extra time to prepare for such a good opponent, and to do it on primetime is really cool. Division games are awesome, and the history between the two organizations amps it up even more. I’m really excited.”
The fact that the Broncos open against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs just makes the next week and a half even more important. To really dial in and get as prepared as Denver can.
“It’s huge. I think every week is about getting better,” Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey said to the media. “We’ve done that since we started training camp. This week is no exception. You don’t want to go into a game week next week off of a three-day off day and not feel like you accomplished something the week before or get better at your job.
“I think it’s an incredible opportunity we have for the next three days to go and compete against each other for a couple more times here, hone in on some of the small details, kind of the introductions to what we want to do in the game plan against Kansas City, and then hit the ground running. Like I said, you want to be your best on Week 1, but it’s more important to be your best in Week 18. Every single week, you have to be better than the week before. It’s not going to be perfect when we first go out and start, but it’s about continuing to improve on each rep and each game as the season unfolds.”
For Broncos head coach Sean Payton, the message is simple. It’s not about the Chiefs, the rivalry, or the opener; it’s about what the Broncos do.
“There’s a history with all those division opponents, and usually you have to find a way to beat the one that’s at the top. So that was our task right away: it was Kansas City. They had won this division however many years in a row. So then, when you win it, now you’ve got to find a way to stay there. It’s pretty much the case around the league.
“In New Orleans, I don’t know how many different division coaches that we saw. Tampa was the team that had won the Super Bowl, I think, in 2002. Early on, that was the team that you had to find a way to get past them. So that’s kind of where I see us right now. We’re competing in a real good division. You just look around, everyone has gotten better. The focus more is internal, our improvement and playing well. That’s kind of how I see it.”
