The Denver Broncos have, in large part, been nothing short of embarrassing since they won Super Bowl 50 in the early weeks of 2016. The Broncos have not made the playoffs since, and thanks to the Jets, they have the second-longest playoff drought in the NFL. On top of their overall embarrassment, the Broncos have had an even more embarrassing inability to beat their division rivals.
They've managed to go 10-6 against the Chargers since then, but have been smacked around by the Raiders and Chiefs time and time again.
Sean Payton is ending bad streaks for the Denver Broncos
Since Sean Payton came to town, the Broncos have snapped the two most embarrassing losing streaks in franchise history: their winless streak to the Chiefs, and their winless streak to the Raiders. The Broncos had lost 15 in a row to Kansas City before their victory at home last year, a dominating 24-9 victory in which the Broncos defense manhandled the Chiefs' offense.
The Broncos had not beaten Kansas City since week two of the 2015 season, a game in which Payton Manning hit a late touchdown, and Bradley Roby recorded a scoop-and-score to put the Broncos over the top and send them home with a win. A painful losing streak, which saw losses recorded by five different head coaches, including an interim, several quarterbacks, two general managers, two ownership groups, parts of three Presidential administrations, and multiple landscape-changing NFL rule changes.
Once the Broncos resolved their issue with Kansas City, their attention shifted to the Raiders. At the start of last Sunday's game, it felt like many other Broncos-Raiders matchups: Raiders quarterbacks doing some insane stuff, Maxx Crosby doing his thing, and Raiders skills players having their best games of the year. However, things changed on a dime with Pat Surtain's pick-six, and hope once again filled Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos would go on to smack the Raiders absolutely silly and win a three-possession game at home for the first time since the Stone Age.
If the Broncos have any hope of becoming a playoff team this year or next, there are a few things they need to get out of the way first. If there is one person on this planet who understands what it takes to turn a franchise around, it might be Sean Payton. Payton's goal in Denver is another ring, the franchise's 4th.
It would not be very smart to be dreaming of rings and hoping there could be one soon if the Broncos are guaranteed, at best, 2-4 in the division every year. Now that Sean Payton has expelled two sets of demons from Denver, this team can reasonably think big and dream. If the Broncos can handle the Chargers this week and start 2-0 in the division, the outlook on this team could quickly become one that could be playing January football.