A Week 5 bye in the NFL isn’t the most ideal time for a break.
With three quarters of the season still remaining, an early bye week seems like more of an interruption of routines rather than a time for rest.
Nevertheless, the Denver Broncos made the most of their early bye and returned to practice Monday ready to get back to the season.
“I actually think it hit us at a perfect time,” safety Will Parks said on Monday. “I think it hit us at a real perfect time because our first four or five games, coming out of the preseason like that and sometimes with certain teams it’s early, but I think for us it hit us at a perfect time. Not too many guys, I think nobody actually said anything. We were kind of happy it came now and we’re ready to make a nice little stretch.”
As the Broncos come out of their bye week and into the thick of their season, they will do so recharged and with a new motto. Head coach Vance Joseph wants to remind his team that they need to do “More” to go along with their preexisting motto, “Championship Habits.”
“The message to our team is to do more,” Joseph said on Monday. “We want more effort, more focus, more detail and more commitment. That’s our message.”
The Broncos were happy with winning three out of their first four games of the season, but they know that they’ll have to continue to do more as the season progresses if they want a shot at their ultimate goal.
“As we move through the season, hopefully with success – as we have success, we want to do more to keep our edge so to speak. That’s our message after the bye. Let’s do more than what we did the first quarter.”
According to second-year defensive lineman Adam Gotsis, it’s not hard to get on board with team mottos when the head coach himself buys into it so much. Gotsis says that Joseph’s enthusiasm about being successful is a large part of the reason so many of the members of the team themselves believe they can.
“When you see a head coach that has that much buy-in, it trickles down to the players,” Gotsis said. “It trickles down through our leadership group. You see our leadership group buying along with it, it goes down to the other guys. Personally, I like seeing that. It shows me that’s where his mind is at. If I’m coming in with my mind not exactly right for that day, I just have to see coach and know that we have to buckle it up. Let’s go.”
Whether or not the bye week came too early or at just the right time, the Broncos are ready to take on the rest of the season recharged and with a new motto in their back pocket.
