The Denver Broncos are preparing for one of their biggest games of the season in Week 8. Denver will do battle with Kansas City in a game that will give the victor an advantage in the AFC West division race. The game is pretty important, but that doesn't mean Denver's head coach is buying into the must-win narrative surrounding this contest.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton pushed back on the idea that Sunday's matchup is a must-win game. But he did not downplay the significance of getting a division win.
“Yeah, because it's another way of asking is this a must-win game to win the division. And I would say it probably isn't because there's so much season left,” Payton said on Wednesday, per reporter Zac Stevens. “But it would be easier to win the division if we won this game. It's a division game and my message really afterwards was just that. I said, look, don't lose track of goal one, goal two, goal three. We're gonna play in bigger games, but this is the next one. And I'm sure they're looking at it the same way.”
The AFC West looks like two-horse race at this point in the regular season. Kansas City is 5-1 and Denver is 5-2. LA is still winless at 0-6 and Vegas sits in the middle at 3-4, but they are on a four-game losing streak.
There is more at stake for the Broncos than the Chiefs in Week 8. Remember, Denver lost to Kansas City in Week 1. If the Chiefs win again, they'll have swept the Broncos and gained an important head-to-head tiebreaker. That could become incredibly important come playoff time.
Meanwhile, one storyline to watch before Sunday's divisional matchup is the injury report. Denver has multiple star players who are injured, including star receiver Jaylen Waddle and interior defender Zach Allen.
Article Continues BelowBroncos fans should keep their eyes peeled for more injury updates over the next few days.
Broncos vs. Chiefs kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Nov. 1 from Mile High in Denver.