The Denver Broncos (8-5) had a bye in Week 14 and they are now recharged going into a Week 15 showdown with the Indianapolis Colts (6-7).
Coming out of the bye, Payton spoke about the timing of the break and the team’s final push over the next four weeks.
“The time away mentally and physically, the rest you get, is healthy for the players as well as the coaches,” Payton said Monday. “A lot of people ask me or would ask, ‘Do you prefer a late bye, middle of the season bye, [or] early bye?’ After a while you learn that there are certain things that you don’t control, so you don’t really pay much attention to them.
“This is as late of a bye that I’ve been a part of, and yet I think it fell at a good time. We have a good month of football ahead of us here that’s going to be — obviously all of those games are going to be important. You want to be as healthy as possible and as rested as possible, but it starts with the game this week at home.”
The Broncos are considered home favorites against the Colts and a win would greatly improve Denver’s playoff chances. Well-rested after the bye, the Broncos will look to finish the regular season on a strong note.