3 reasons the Denver Broncos are still playoff contenders

2. Sean Payton

As long as Sean Payton is the head coach of the Denver Broncos, the team is going to be competitive in almost every football game. With a new offensive identity that helped propel the Broncos to a five-game winning streak, the Broncos have found their own way to win football games. Pound the football in the run game, throw the ball quickly and efficiently, and take occasional deep shots in the proper moments of games. It has been a recipe for success that has left opposing defenses feeling helpless at times.

However, in Week 13 against the Houston Texans, the execution by Denver's offensive line and quarterback Russell Wilson was poor, to say the least, and was not representative of a good football team looking to contend for a playoff spot. Even when the defense made the proper adjustments at halftime and played a great second half, the offense still struggled to get the job done.

But lucky for Broncos Country, Sean Payton has been coaching and calling plays at a high level for a long time. Of the 15 seasons Payton was the head coach in New Orleans, the Saints clinched nine playoff berths. Considering we saw him rally this Broncos team and bounce back from a 1-5 start, he'll find a way to lift his team into its first playoff birth in eight years.