That was the hardest thing to admit for eight years, and now it’s the easiest thing for Broncos Country to read. It’s obvious. There is no reason to deny this.

The Broncos finally have a coach who can win a big game. Thank you, Sean Payton.

It’s okay to say it out loud. Tell a friend. And it will feel even better when the Broncos beat the Colts on Sunday. Payton will meet the moment.

That wasn’t true last season, when Payton’s in-game acumen required WD-40. But it is now undeniably true.

No game this weekend has more at stake.

Win and the Broncos will run and hide from the Colts, increasing their chances of making the playoffs to about 90 percent. If they lose, they drop to about 40 percent, so they’ll likely be overtaken by either the Colts or Dolphins in the final round.

The Broncos collapsed at a similar point last Christmas Eve against the Patriots. The coach is the same. But he is different. Payton won’t let the Broncos lose. Not at home. Not with everything this team has done.

Choke against the Colts? No chance.

Payton was revitalized by this group, by youth, by hunger and emotional investment. The Broncos have multiple captains. Quarterback Bo Nix is ​​among them. But it’s not up to the newbie to raise their volume – or utter profanities – because there is one voice that matters.

“Bo doesn’t have to talk too much, that’s for sure. He doesn’t train unless there’s a reason to. Why? I think Sean is such a great leader that we all agree with that message. “The message is clear from the start,” said right tackle Mike McGlinchey. “Our job is to convey the coach’s message.”

Her execution highlights the work Payton has done better than the 8-5 record. While the Broncos are viewed with suspicion across the country because their record includes a win against a team with a winning record, they beat inferior opponents. You know the list: the Jets, the NFC South and the Cleveland Browns.

Payton wins games he’s supposed to win. It was the truth before last season. And it’s like that again.

It sounds easy. But since Super Bowl 50, it’s the equivalent of hiking Mount Evans in Crocs. Starting with an overtime loss to the Chiefs eight years ago, the Broncos have disintegrated before our eyes into a handful of must-win games.

Payton added his name to the list against the Patriots with alarmingly poor time management. In his second year, he is the first coach since Gary Kubiak in 2016 to look like he knows what he’s doing. This is the franchise’s last winning record. On Sunday, Payton will end its streak of seven straight losses.

There was too much drama between Payton and Russell Wilson last year. Things boiled over on the sidelines in Detroit and led to a bench change after the Patriots’ loss. Wilson learned during the bye week that he was no longer wanted.

Sometimes excuses are reasons, and I believe the disconnect between the two most important people on game day created a bad mood and played a role in the Patriots’ collapse and general failure to live up to expectations.

This year, philosophically speaking, the coach and quarterback are not distant unknowns. The players feel like brothers. And Payton agrees with Nix.

Today, Payton is a more complete version of himself, the coach who won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints. His decisions have worked, from rejuvenating the center and receiver to freeing Vance Joseph to run an offensive defense. The pressure on Sunday is to pull the right levers, resist the pull and let too much happen. Modest suggestion: give Audric Estime more food during obvious setbacks.

While Bill Belichick was disgusted with the NFL – or was it the other way around? – The coaching-centric model still works. We see it in Kansas City with Andy Reid. We see it Pittsburgh with Mike Tomlin. And we see it in Denver with Payton.

Forget the offensive game plan, Payton wins behind the scenes with the structure he creates – the players know what to expect – and the tone he sets. The latter changes depending on the opponent, and the message was clear this week. The Broncos are running into the storm with their eyes wide open. The players seemed focused and not nervous.

They believe and feed off Payton’s confidence, if not his bravery.

This is not last year’s team. Or Payton from last year. These were players and a leader who suffered from imposter syndrome. They weren’t ready for the spotlight. Payton included.