The Denver Broncos just finished the 2025-26 regular season with a 14-3 record and the #1 seed in the entire AFC. If you had offered that option to Broncos Country before the season, 100 percent of the fan base would have taken it and run with it.
Of course, everyone would love to see the Broncos beating the brakes off of every opponent they face, but they have struggled to some tight wins this season. Their 11 wins by one score or less are tied for the most in NFL history in a single season. The Broncos have flipped the script on where they were in one-score games last season, which has led them to where they are today.
And where they are today is the top seed in the AFC, the best record in the NFL, and just two wins away from heading back to Santa Clara for a shot to win Super Bowl LX. Head coach Sean Payton kept that in perspective after the team's 19-3 win over the Chargers perhaps lacked the style points fans were hoping for.
Sean Payton keeps Broncos' season in perspective after win vs. Chargers in Week 18
The great Dom Torretto once said, "It don't matter if you win by an inch or a mile -- winning's winning." And the Broncos have exemplified that mentality flawlessly this season. Sean Payton talked after the game about the important thing about this win, which was not how it looked, but what it meant.
Broncos HC Sean Payton on getting a very important win against the Chargers:
— Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) January 5, 2026
"You can see the light. Two home wins [to get to the Super Bowl]. That's exciting, and that's why you do all of it."
Payton noted that he's proud of his team for winning 14 games and getting to this point. And how could you not be? This Broncos team has been resilient all year. The hot takes about whether or not this team is a pretender or not are for the birds. Those types of discussions are for the talking heads who get paid to have shock-jock types of opinions.
Bo Nix talked about it after the game, but Broncos Country should be prepared for everyone to give every reason why Denver is going to lose in the Divisional round. Nobody is going to believe in this team, but the team believes in itself.
It's how they've gotten to this point.
Everyone loves to talk about what might make the Broncos a mirage as the #1 seed in the AFC, but few people like to talk about the fact that this team has had Russell Wilson taking up $85 million on the salary cap the last two seasons, or that they didn't have a 1st-round pick in 2022 or 2023. Or how about the fact that they've accomplished what we've seen the last two seasons with a quarterback in his first two NFL seasons?
The job that Sean Payton has done with this team is nothing short of remarkable, and the Broncos have every reason to be celebrating the fact that they are on top of the AFC heading into postseason play. They've earned it, and they've done it the hard way.