Payton Singles Out 2 'Under The Radar' Broncos Entering Season Finale

The Denver Broncos have outkicked their coverage thanks to these sleeper additions.

Denver Broncos safety Brandon Jones (22) wraps up Cincinnati Bengals tight end Cam Grandy (85) in the first quarter of the NFL Week 17 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos stand on the precipice of the playoffs. At 9-7, Sean Payton has delivered a winning season in Year 2 as head coach.

Almost nobody outside the Mile High City expected the Broncos to be this good in 2024, not with the albatross of Russell Wilson's dead-money contract weighing down and tying the team's hands from a roster-building perspective. If the Broncos were going to make something of 2024, they'd not only have to knock their draft class out of the park, but the strategic free-agent signings had to hit, too.

One of those "under the radar" signings — as Payton put it on Friday — has undoubtedly been safety Brandon Jones. Stepping into the shoes vacated by Justin Simmons, Jones quietly put together a Pro Bowl-caliber campaign, leading the team in tackles (114) and getting his hands on five takeaways.

Another high-impact signing has been defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, delivering 41 tackles, seven QB hits, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in a rotational role. Thanks to Roach and the arrival of veteran defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers via trade, the Broncos' defensive line underwent a massive upgrade this past season, helping to free up Zach Allen to deliver an All-Pro-level campaign with 8.5 sacks.

Just days after Jones was voted a Pro Bowl alternate, Payton shared his observations of the hard-working safety's 2024 contributions.

“Good. He’s healthy. He’s athletic. He works his tail off," Payton said of Jones. "He can overtrain at times. He’s a good teammate. He’s been a good addition."

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Way to under-sell it, Coach. In all seriousness, Jones has been the glue that's allowed the Broncos' secondary to thrive this season.

While the Broncos' passing defense has taken a step back since Week 13, once again, the secondary is another unit that outkicked its coverage, so to speak, Patrick Surtain II notwithstanding. Jones has been a big part of that.

The play of the Broncos' defensive backfield has allowed the front seven to post a franchise-best 58 sacks this season. Pacing the league in sacks without a bonafide star pass rusher (to open the season) is no mean feat, and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph certainly deserves his flowers.

But the unique chemical interactions of the Broncos' defensive personnel have led to a reaction best described as symbiotic. The secondary and front seven complement and feed off each other.

It doesn't hurt that Nik Bonitto emerged as one of the NFL's most dynamic playmakers on the edge. He and Jonathon Cooper have combined for 21 sacks this season. For his part, the team rewarded Cooper with a lucrative contract extension, while Bonitto was voted to the Pro Bowl. Bonitto's payday is coming.

I can't emphasize it enough, though; almost nobody expected the Broncos to be this good. That includes the defense. Joseph should be credited for coaching his rear end off, yes, but GM George Paton and the Broncos' personnel department also deserve plaudits for making hay with very few resources, relatively speaking.

"Quietly, there have been a number of these guys—I don’t want to say under the radar—that’s not the right term, but important additions outside the draft class that may not have been as higher-profile signings but have found real good roles," Payton said. "Malcolm Roach, just a handful of these players.”

It would be tragic for all of this progress to come up short relative to the playoff race. As impressive as Payton's Year 2 product has been, Broncos Country will have a distinct distaste in its mouth if the team fails to capitalize on getting out to a 9-5 start.

Entering Week 18, the Broncos are one win away from punching their ticket. That's been the objective for the past two weeks. Win, and you're in. Payton remains steadfast in his confidence that this iteration of the Broncos is different, which, if true, means the end result at season's end should be different, too.

Here's to hoping the Broncos can deliver a playoff berth by beating the Kansas City Chiefs in front of the home crowd at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday. Payton gets excited even talking about the prospect of playing meaningful football in such an environment.

“It’s not just at home, it gets back to when I was talking about Denver," Payton said. "It’s home here in a place with great tradition, in a stadium that’s loud, in a stadium that’s used to and seen a ton of great games. So to play in this stadium, in a meaningful game at home… Shoot, I’m getting excited now talking about it.”

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