'We Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Talk About it': Sean Payton Weighs in on Broncos’ Super Bowl Chances
The Denver Broncos were expected to handle the New York Giants with relative ease in Week 7. They were listed as -7.5 point favorites, figured to have the roster advantage, and the game even took place at Mile High.
Nevertheless, they barely escaped with a 33-32 victory to move to 5-2 on the season. Now, the Broncos find themselves at a crossroads. They have aspirations, but championship football clubs tend to not struggle against teams like the Giants, so the question becomes, are they allowed to talk about the Super Bowl ahead of Week 8?
“We shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it. No one has used that word in ages,” Payton noted when asked about the most coveted phrase in football, that being “
For Payton, it’s just about ensuring that the team continues to its upward trajectory. Their last-second victory over the New York Giants may not have been as clean as anyone had hoped for, but they still managed to button things up and execute when it mattered most, and that’ll do for now.
“I was proud that we fought to get back in it, we had to find a way to clean up our mess. So, I told them, ‘Enjoy this.’ There’s some grit there, they didn’t quit, but it’s important that we don’t let the euphoria of a win like that cloud the things that need to get cleaned up tomorrow
.”
Throughout the first two months of the season, that appears to be the main take away for the Broncos in 2025. Not too bad, not too great, but still full of potential.
They’ve managed to beat the teams that they have been expected to beat so far, but losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers raise concerns when discussing the who’s who of the AFC title picture. At the same time, however, they are still 5-2 despite ranking 20th overall in points scored.
Up next is a volatile Dallas Cowboys team that currently boasts one of the most potent offenses in all of football. Seeing as their defense just gave up 32 points to a Giants team that doesn’t have Malik Nabers and is currently being led by a rookie quarterback, it seems safe to say that Denver will be in for yet another stiff test in Week 8.
Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton have finally started to add some consistency to their production, but that’s been better for fantasy points than actual points so far. In short, the Broncos still control their own destiny, but they’ll have to tighten up if they want to make the most of the potential that they claim to have.
ikings WR Justin Jefferson takes full responsibility for his drop—his shocking words will leave you rethinking his mindset
The Minnesota Vikings lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 28-22. The slim margin of defeat makes Justin Jefferson’s dropped touchdown reception against Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean stand out, and the All-Pro wide receiver is certainly taking it to heart.
Jefferson finished the game with five receptions for 79 yards. He was officially held out of the end zone following strong comments regarding that aspect of his game before the contest.
After the loss, Jefferson did not mince words about that battle with DeJean.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson Delivers Blunt Take on Eagles CB Cooper DeJean
DeJean drew attention for his, as Pro Football Focus suggested on X after the play, lockdown coverage on Jefferson on the play during a drive that eventually saw the Vikings settle for a field goal.
Asked if he believed his “drop” was actually DeJean breaking up the pass, Jefferson said, “nah.”
“All respect to him, but that, that’s a catch any day of the week,” Jefferson told reporters on October 19. “I just gotta be more focused into pulling the ball into me and towards instead of just laying the ball out there and letting him just knock the ball out my hand. So, I would say that’s more on me than on him.”
DeJean celebrated the incompletion, as DBs are wont to do. However, it was Jefferson who was touting his abilities and, really, his mindset before the game.
“To be honest, wherever that ball touched my hand, I’m trying to get in that [end]zone,” Jefferson told Vikings legend Randy Moss on “Sunday NFL Countdown” on October 19. “So, it can be in the red zone, it can be from 50, or it might go 97 [yards] again. Who knows?”
Jefferson’s longest reception of the day went for 40 yards on a catch-and-run.
Justin Jefferson Points Out Red Zone Issues
Jefferson said that the Vikings’ struggles in the red zone were due to “just hurting ourselves and just causing us to go backwards instead of forward. We just got to execute our plays to the fullest and just take one play at a time. And when the opportunity comes, make those plays.”
The Vikings were 1-for-6 on the day in the red zone, including Jefferson’s drop.
“One of those red zone drives is – that’s me, dropping a touchdown, and not really pulling the ball all the way in. And I’m always critical on myself,” Jefferson said. “And always, especially when my opportunities are very, very slim. So, those are opportunities, I got to make the most of them.”
Making the most of their opportunities was a theme for the Vikings during Jefferson’s postgame availability.
Justin Jefferson Remains Confident in Vikings
Asked if the Vikings were trying to “figure it out” during the game, Jefferson said. “Yeah and no.”
“Honestly, it’s just executing those plays, those one or two plays, every drive that kind of hurts us and put us in bad positions. But I don’t feel like we’re still trying to ‘find out’ or still trying to ‘figure out what’s going on,’” Jefferson said.
“We understand what’s going on. We have the players out there that make the plays and do what we need to do to go down and score; we just need to finish those drives, especially games like this. We’re competing against a team that just won a Super Bowl. So, plays like that and making the most of those opportunities is the things that count.”
Jefferson and the Vikings will look to regroup in Week 8. They will visit the Los Angeles Chargers on a short week for “Thursday Night Football.”
