Denver Broncos keeping focus on Chiefs despite distractions

After a week filled with distractions for the Denver Broncos, the team made it clear their mindset heading into Sunday was only set on beating Kansas City.

The Denver Broncos held their first practice of the week on Wednesday in preparation for their second matchup of the season with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The game comes in the midst of a flurry of off-field distractions such as a Halloween party thrown by Von Miller, trade rumors involving starters, and the arrest and subsequent release of their backup quarterback.

Speaking to the media after practice, Chris Harris Jr., Vance Joseph, and Emmanuel Sanders were berated with questions about the team’s mindset after what was a strange week. If their answers are any indication, the team is focused on nothing but beating Kansas City on Sunday.

"“It won’t,” Joseph responded when asked about how the Chad Kelly situation would affect the team. “Our football team is focused on one thing and that’s the Chiefs on Sunday morning. We have a great locker room, we have a close-knit football team, and their focus is the Chiefs on Sunday morning.”(quotes via Broncos PR)"

Joseph was clearly more testy with the media in the interview than we’ve seen in the past, even calling a question about the Halloween party “nonsense.”

Harris Jr. was also tight-lipped when questioned about the party.

"“I’m done talking about the party, I’ve done like five interviews this weekend and I’ve already answered it. We’re already focused on the Chiefs, I’ve been focused on the Chiefs since Friday, since the game was over with. If you need to study all weekend and get a jump on these boys, you aren’t trying to win. I’ve been studying and focusing on them the whole time. This is a big game. This is a season-changing game.”"

He couldn’t be more right with his last sentence. A win would undoubtedly turn the tides of the Broncos’ season in more ways than one. A win would bring the Broncos within two games of the AFC West-leading Chiefs, and going on the road to beat the AFC’s current number one seed would be a major confidence booster for a team only one win removed from a four-game losing streak that many thought would derail their season.

On the contrary, a seventh consecutive loss to Kansas City would all but end Denver’s hopes of winning the West.

"“What costume, what Halloween party?” joked Emmanuel Sanders. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, man, I got a game on Sunday.”"

Sanders, who’s coming off a game in Arizona in which he earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after he caught a touchdown and threw another.

Responding to his only question about Kelly, Sanders followed the stayed true to the theme of being undaunted by the situation, saying he wasn’t there to talk about it. He also stressed the implications of Sunday’s game.

"“This is the kind of game where we sit back and say, ‘Okay, was Arizona a fluke, or are we really good?'”"

Broncos players, coaches, and fans everywhere are eager to uncover the answer to that question.

There may be no better way to separate yourself from the pretenders and join the contenders than a midseason road win against the division leaders. Denver is making sure they don’t let off the field “bullcrap”, as Harris Jr. called it, deter them from having their best chance at bagging what would be their biggest win of the season thus far.

These answers are a sign of a mature team who is ready to go into Arrowhead Stadium and compete with the AFC’s best. In a league where teams’ entire seasons can often go off the rails because of a few distractions, it’s good to see that the Broncos don’t seem to be succumbing to the pressure of losing focus on the only thing that matters in the NFL: Winning.