Ahead of the NFL’s Wildcard Weekend, the Denver Broncos held a practice on Friday inside of the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse as they await the weekend’s results to determine who they will face in the Divisional Round.
Denver Broncos hold impromptu practice on Friday
The first-round bye has been beneficial to players and coaches after they concluded the regular season at 14-3 and homefield advantage heading into next week’s Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.
Players and coaches were back on the field for the first time since they defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18 for an impromptu practice.
There won’t be an injury report released today, but linebacker Dre Greenlaw and tight end Lucas Krull were on the side field during the viewing portion. Safety P.J. Locke, offensive tackle Garett Bolles, and center Alex Forsyth, players who suffered injuries in Week 18’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, were on the field.
The only player we did not see was defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers, who was not present because his wife was having a baby, per Sean Payton.
Friday’s practice was focused on competitive best on best, third down, and red zone situational moments, and that’s because Denver doesn’t know who they’ll face just yet as the NFL Wildcard Round kicks off on Sunday on the AFC side.
“We didn’t try to simulate one of the four teams looks that we’re going to play,” Payton said. “It was just good on good, but the focus on third down, red zone, two-minute. We’ll do the same tomorrow, and then these guys will be back Monday or Tuesday based on the day of our game.”
If the Chargers win on Sunday at New England, the Broncos will face them in the Divisional Round. If the Chargers lose and the Buffalo Bills beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver will face Buffalo. If the Chargers and Bills lose, they’ll play the winner of the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers matchup.
Broncos prospective coaches tackling the challenge of gameplanning and interviewing
This week has been a whirlwind for a handful of Broncos coaches like Vance Joseph, Davis Webb, Jim Leonhard, and Darren Rizzi. Each of these coaches has been the subject of interest from other NFL teams for coordinator and head coaching gigs.
Joseph has interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, and is interviewing today with the Atlanta Falcons for their vacant head coaching jobs.
Davis Webb also interviewed with the Ravens and Raiders for their head coaching jobs, while the Dallas Cowboys are set to interview Leonhard on Saturday.
Despite the busy schedules and demand, Denver’s coaching staff has handled the process well, according to Payton.
“It’s always been a challenge to figure out the balance with that,” Payton said. “But our guys have done a great job with it. It’s not the first time it’s happened — it’s happened a number of times. You’ll be getting ready for a key championship game, and you’re going to have a member of your staff who’s a strong candidate to become the next head coach of the Lions [Dan Campbell]. That’s why they’re special though, because they can multitask. They understand what their goal is, and they can still perform their job.”
While many national pundits, none of which ever come to Denver to attend weekly practices, try to diminish the Broncos season or their record, the rest of the league seemingly has interest in trying to poach from Payton’s staff.
