The timing is perfect for Payton’s squad to find their stride.

Sean Payton’s well-known quote seemed especially fitting after Monday night’s thrilling 24-22 victory of the Denver Broncos over the Buffalo Bills.

With eight games remaining, the Broncos have surged back into postseason contention with their third straight victory, secured by Wil Lutz’s second-chance field goal after the Bills were penalised for having too many personnel on the field.

It’s NFL football. According to NFL.com, Payton stated afterward, “I mean, credit (to) these guys.” This league is a tad rough around the edges. There’s that thin line separating a groove from a rut, as I always say. At practise over the week, you have to demand that each other bow down a little bit. During the week, you triumph. We seem to have been practising during the week much more effectively, in my opinion. Sundays become a little less crazy if you do that and expect that of one another.”

During his first season in Denver, Payton’s comment regarding the groove and rut has been repeated often. A documentary on the 2023 Broncos, who are now 4-5 following a difficult start, might do well with that title.

How, however, have the Broncos settled into a routine? through playing defence that is tenfold better, a superior running game, and quarterback play from Russell Wilson, who on Monday night at times resembled the Wilson who guided the Seahawks to consecutive Super Bowl victories.

On Monday night, Wilson completed 24 of 29 passes for touchdowns, tossing passes to Javonte Williams and Courtland Sutton. Wilson avoided a sure sack by Shaq Lawson and turned to find Sutton, who managed to keep both feet in bounds, for a touchdown pass that was a work of beauty. The touchdown, which came on a fourth-down play, put the Broncos ahead by nine points.

About the play, Sutton stated, “There’s a lot of practise,” according to 9News. “You practise it as much as you possibly can so it becomes an unconscious thing.”

The Broncos defence forced four turnovers against the Bills, following up their previous game where they had held the Chiefs to nine points. The defence, which surrendered a massive 70 points to the Dolphins in Week 3, has allowed 16.8 points a game on average during the course of its following four games.

“Our defense has been unbelievable,” Wilson told ESPN following Monday’s win. “Everyone was discussing things regarding them. I am aware of their excellence. How wonderful they are, I play them every day.”

Another element that has contributed to Denver’s comeback, particularly in Monday’s game, is resilience. In spite of the Bills’ comeback and a number of self-inflicted mistakes (two failed PATs, among other things), the Broncos overcame their misfortune by crafting their own good fortune.

“I went through some adversity personally tonight,” Lutz stated. However, poor recall. One kick at a time, and I’m proud with the way we performed as a team.”

When everything is taken into account, the Broncos club is still very much in the running for the AFC playoffs.

“Well, we know what we can do,” Wilson concluded. “This week is our return to work. We have the Vikings at home, a squad that has been playing some excellent football. Still, we’re going to celebrate this victory. We are planning to have a party. We’re going to enjoy ourselves. This one is rather big. We just played a good football team. Naturally, we’ve been playing some extremely elite teams these last few weeks. Beating these men and the Chiefs establishes the bar for what kind of people we can and should be.”