Sean Payton’s Warning: Broncos’ Ugly Win Proves They’re Not Ready for Mahomes

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton tipped his cap to the Las Vegas Raiders following their 10-7 showdown on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 10, but he also had a clear message for his team following a historic outing.

The Broncos leaned on their defense, which sacked Raiders quarterback Geno Smith 6 times and intercepted him once. They also blocked a punt and benefited from a missed field goal.

And yet, after such a hard-fought contest, Payton did not mince words about what lies ahead.

Broncos HC Sean Payton Puts Players on Notice After Raiders Game

Payton’s Broncos failed to generate the fourth-quarter magic they displayed in previous weeks, which they were able to get away with, with their defense playing at such a high level against a 2-6 Raiders team.

However, the Broncos’ next game is against the Kansas City Chiefs.

“It was a short week [in Week 9]. These guys will be back Monday, and we know we got a big one coming up against Kansas City,” Payton told reporters on November 6. “The staff and the players will have this time away. And then, one of the tough things about ‘Thursday Night Football’ is the short week and the preparation. The positive is, after the game, obviously, if you win, you have that mini bye. But the turnaround is tough, and guys handled it well.”

The Broncos split their two matchups against the Chiefs last season, but their win came in Week 18 as Kansas City rested its starters for the postseason.

The Chiefs are on their bye in Week 10, and they will enter their first meeting against the Broncos this season at 5-4. They are also battle-tested and still have Patrick Mahomes. The Broncos could need another all-time performance from their defense.

Broncos Must Clean Up Mistakes

Payton noted the Raiders’ defense did some things the Broncos did not anticipate, and downplayed the impact the wind had on the contest.

He lamented some of his own play calls, citing Wil Lutz’s missed 59-yard field goal attempt and the third-down play that called for Courtland Sutton to pass the ball, praising the wideout for holding onto it instead.

Payton bristled at a question about whether or not he was “comfortable” with the Broncos’ trend.

“We got to clean up the penalties. We got to clean up some of the execution, and that is an ongoing thing that probably never ends. You search for that ‘Shangri-La.’ Right now, we’re a team that’s sitting at eight wins. I think we’re the only team sitting there, so. And yet, we’re constantly looking internally,” Payton said. “It was a tough night offensively, obviously.

“You start looking at your call sheet, with your sub plan. And so, we’ll look at that tape, and we’ll learn from it. We always will.”The Broncos had gotten by with fourth-quarter explosions, but their offensive struggles on Thursday were more indicative of their performance most of the time in games. They set a new season low with 220 total net yards of offense.

Broncos-Raiders Snaps NFL Drought

The Broncos and Raiders’ showing was not simply an exercise in offensive futility; it also had historical significance.

“Broncos and Raiders each had more penalties than first downs tonight,” Next Gen Stats’ Bill Smith posted on X on November 6. “Only the second time since 1950 this happened, and it’s fitting the first was a battle of 0-5 expansion teams in 1976.”

The Broncos and Raiders will meet again in Week 14 in Las Vegas.

Steelers’ DK Metcalf Speaks out on Lack of Targets From Aaron Rodgers

The Pittsburgh Steelers became known as a team with diva wide receivers. Players such as Antonio Brown, George Pickens, Diontae Johnson and other wideouts complained during their Pittsburgh tenures either about too few of opportunities, money or both. But that’s not DK Metcalf this season.

When asked about the lack of targets he’s received during his first campaign with the Steelers, Metcalf made it clear his priority is one thing — winning.

“Y’all may get frustrated with that [expletive],” Metcalf told reporters Wednesday. “We don’t. We just trying to win.”

Through eight games, Metcalf has received 47 targets this season. That’s an average of 5.875 per game.

Last season with the Seattle Seahawks, Metcalf posted 7.2 targets per contest. In 2023, which was the last year Metcalf made the Pro Bowl, he had about 7.4 targets per game.

Behind the reduction in targets, the 27-year-old has fewer receptions and receiving yards per game this season as well.

Why DK Metcalf Has Received Fewer Targets Per Game With Steelers

It’s a little surprising that Metcalf has seen such a drastic decline in targets. He’s, by far, the most dangerous pass-catcher on the Steelers roster. Playing opposite Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson, pundits expected Metcalf to see a ton of opportunities in 2025.

However, quarterback Aaron Rodgers targets tight ends nearly 10 times per game. Plus, the Steelers just don’t throw that often or run very many plays.

Entering Week 10, Pittsburgh’s offense is ranked 24th in total pass attempts. Furthermore, the Steelers are 31st in total offensive plays.

That doesn’t give the Steelers a lot of opportunity to target their most dangerous pass-catcher. Fortunately, Metcalf has been efficient.

Metcalf is averaging 16.1 yards per reception, which is the second-best mark of his seven-year NFL career. He’s also already scored five touchdowns, which matches his total from 2024.

Metcalf has more than twice as many receiving yards than any other Steelers pass-catcher after Week 9. He also has 13 more targets and nine more receptions.

So while he’s not getting a lot of chances, it’s still significantly more than anyone else catching passes in Pittsburgh this year.

Metcalf Putting Team Ahead of Individual Achievement

Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle called Metcalf’s answer to the question about his lack of targets a “borderline programmed response.” But after about a decade of “me-first” receivers, it’s a breath of fresh air in Pittsburgh.

Metcalf is clearly the top receiver with the Steelers. So if he has a team-first attitude, the other wideouts on the team will too.

Metcalf also recognizes that his teammates work hard, and they want the ball more too in Pittsburgh’s offense that, right now, just simply isn’t running a lot of plays.

“Once you put in the work, and the time during the offseason, and even during the week, training camp, you gotta respect the guys who are getting targets,” Metcalf said. “From the moment that I’ve gotten here, everybody’s worked their butts off.

“So everybody rightfully deserves a shot at the ball.”

At his current pace, Metcalf is on track to register 62 catches, 992 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Last season, Metcalf also had 992 yards in 15 games.

His previous career high in touchdowns is 12 from the 2021 season.

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