The Denver Broncos have won 24 regular season games over the past two seasons, losing just 10 during that time. At home, Denver is a whopping 14-3, and two of those losses came earlier in the 2024 campaign.
This team is a juggernaut in every sense of the word, and it's largely due to head coach Sean Payton and what he's been able to do in his first three seasons with the franchise. Now already in year four, Payton's Broncos for 2026 feel like the best team of his tenure.
And with the way the 2025 NFL Season ended, I can't imagine the team needs any more motivation to right that wrong and make the Super Bowl. Payton himself, depending on how successful the regular season is, could win his second Coach of the Year award. He won it first in 2006, his first year with the New Orleans Saints. There are a few games that could end up being the deciding factor in a Coach of the Year bid.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton could win his second Coach of the Year award
Week 3 vs. Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are coached by Sean McVay, one of the best in the NFL and someone who is already tracking to be a Hall of Fame head coach. McVay's Rams were poised to earn the top seed in the NFC, but a collapse down the stretch ended up ruining their Super Bowl hopes.
Having won the COTY award back in 2017, McVay knows what it's like, and on paper, this Rams team might be the best he's had in his tenure, as Los Angeles immediately fixed their two major holes at cornerback this offseason.
Los Angeles got better this offseason, but did also win 12 games in 2025. Both Denver and Los Angeles could be the two most winningest teams in the league in 2026, so it wouldn't be a stretch to think that the winner of this game could see their coach win the individual award.
Week 16 vs. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills replaced long-time coach Sean McDermott with Joe Brady. Even with Brady being in his first year on the job, the Bills have been such a stable team that it'd be a shock if the franchise didn't hit double-digit wins.
The Bills first-year head coach might need some time to be comfortable, so his bid for the COTY award could be unlikely. However, from the Broncos perspective, this Week 16 showdown would be late enough in the season to be in some sort of clinching scenario, and we could also see the team having stacked at ton of wins up to this point.
Beating a likely juggernaut in Buffalo this late in the season could put the finishing touches on Payton's COTY chances. Depending on how good Buffalo is, this game could also end up coming in handy in any sort of tiebreaker that the Broncos would fetch over the Bills for the playoffs.
Week 17 @ New England Patriots
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel won the COTY award in 2025, his first year with the Patriots. The Pats' schedule does get a lot tougher this year, but it's not like this team won't still win a lot.
Vrabel is a proven head coach, Drake Maye is clearly a top-tier, franchise quarterback, and Josh McDaniels is a Hall of Fame offensive coordinator. The Patriots might have an uphill battle to win 14 games in the regular season, but Vrabel has actually on the COTY award twice now, and he's been known as a coach who constantly gets the most out of his players.
Denver notching a win over New England this late in the season could be another massive domino to fall in Payton's chances at winning his second COTY award.
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