Sean Payton put the Bills logo on the Broncos' practice field this week
As Broncos coach Sean Payton gets more comfortable in Denver, he's doing more and more of the things he did in New Orleans.
In advance of Monday night's game in Buffalo, Payton put the Bills' logo on the Denver practice field this week.
"I’ve done that for years," Payton told reporters on Saturday. "It was always to acclimate our players. We used to do it all the time in New Orleans. Our equipment guys had it down pat. It’s all computer generated. If I could have made it 48 degrees with a 10 mile an hour wind, I would’ve done that, too. . . . [W]e’re going on the road. We’ve done that forever. In New Orleans, I don’t think I’ve ever [been] asked by [media]—not once. You guys are on top of it. It’s nothing to do with the opponent, it’s more of us just getting in the mindset. This is the logo, and we’re on the field trying to simulate. We started doing that. When you start building something, everyone wants to help. . . . A lot of it has to do with just getting prepared to play on the road. You’ll see it the rest of the time I’m here, and any time we’re playing an away game. Then we don’t have to answer any more questions. It’ll just be the logo."
So why hadn't it happened earlier this season?
“I hadn’t gotten to it yet," Payton said. "It’s one of those things. It’s a good question. That’s the question. It’s like, ‘We always used to do this, let’s do it!’ I had forgotten. Anyway, that’s the truth, too. We had just never gotten to it.”
Similarly, Payton had the Monday Night Football theme playing during warmups at Saturday's practice.
"If I could put us 50 feet below sea level because that stadium in Buffalo is 50 feet below sea level—1972, 30 million dollars, it’s been named four different times—I’d do it," Payton said. "Every detail matters. If every detail matters on the field, then every detail matters around the field, in the facility, in the locker room, in the parking lot. You just become maniacal with preparation. Every once in a while, someone has a good idea, and we’ll just add it."
For Payton, there's something extra special about playing on Monday night.
"I’m 59," he said. "Monday Night Football wasn’t only the game you got to see, but as a kid, your parents wouldn’t let you stay up for the second half unless—you know, I had to take a nap. The other thing is, it was the only time we all saw highlights. We didn’t really have a grasp as to the other games until you had that two-minute highlight at halftime. I can remember being able to stay up for the halftime highlights and then having to go to bed. Monday Night Football. That was huge."
On Monday night, the game is huge for both teams. The Bills need to show that they can beat a lesser team convincingly. The Broncos, who beat the Chiefs the last time Denver played two weeks ago, need to show that they aren't a lesser team.
