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Broncos coach Sean Payton: "Exciting to still be playing"

Fri Jan 10 10:51pm ET
Field Level Media

For the first time in four years, Sean Payton is headed to the playoffs, and the Denver Broncos coach is realizing he missed the experience.

The seventh-seeded Broncos (10-7) visit the second-seeded Buffalo Bills (13-4) in an AFC wild-card game on Sunday.

Payton retired after 15 years as the New Orleans Saints' coach following the 2021 season. He took over in Denver ahead of the 2023 season and now has the Broncos in the postseason to conclude his second season in charge.

Asked Friday what he missed about the playoffs, the 61-year-old coach said, "Just all of it. When you're in it -- and I'm not even talking about the playoffs. When the season begins, every hour ... everything matters.

"It's amazing, it seemed like yesterday we were starting the season. The weeks fly by. The detail -- everything matters. Then all of a sudden when you're away from it, there's that void. There's nothing like it. It's enjoyable.

"I think working with young people -- they seem younger now -- but working with young people keeps you young and it keeps you energized. Working with a family. We are around these guys 24/7. Last night (being here at) 2 a.m. in the morning, working with the coaches on offense. It's just exciting to still be playing."

Payton is entering his 10th postseason as a head coach, and he guided the Saints to the Super Bowl championship following the 2009 season. That experience is passed along to his players, according to Broncos tight end Adam Trautman, who played his first two NFL seasons in New Orleans under Payton.

"It ... helps when your head coach has been there a lot of times and he comes in and it's not like a new head coach who's like, 'Oh, guys, like, we're in the playoffs. Like, this is great,' " Trautman told DenverSports.com. "It's like, 'No, we're in the playoffs and we're here to win. Like, we plan on going to the next week and the next week and the next week and staying alive.'

"It's not, 'We're satisfied with being here.' "

Comparing the current Broncos team to his 2020 Saints team that reached the playoffs, Trautman said, "I think it was different in a way, just because you had certain guys, like, obviously, like I was with Drew (Brees) the last year. ... We're young and hungry versus being, like the old stoic have-been-here-before (team)."

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Player Notes
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley heads into Sunday's wild-card matchup against the Green Bay Packers fresh after sitting out the regular-season finale. Barkley was just 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record, finishing with 2,005 rushing yards in 2024. The Eagles have relied heavily on Barkley all season, with the star back accounting for 36.6% of the team's scrimmage yards, the highest percentage in the NFL this year. In Week 1, Barkley torched the Packers for 132 yards and three touchdowns, taking full advantage of Green Bay's frequent use of light boxes. With Jalen Hurts recently cleared from a concussion, expect Philadelphia to lean on Barkley and their top-ranked rushing attack, which averaged 36.5 rushing attempts per game this season. Barkley remains a must-start in all formats this week.

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Jalen Hurts Jan 11 9:30am CT
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has cleared concussion protocol and is set to start Sunday's wild-card matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Hurts missed the final two games of the regular season, but his return is a massive boost for Philadelphia's offense. Despite the Packers allowing the third-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, their defense has struggled against dual-threat QBs. Hurts' rushing ability remains his most valuable asset, with a league-high 14 rushing touchdowns in 2024, including numerous scores via the Eagles' trademark "tush push." While his rushing volume could be slightly tempered following his concussion, Hurts' combination of passing and goal-line prowess makes him a top-tier fantasy play. Expect Hurts to anchor the Eagles' offense in their quest for playoff success.

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Dallas Goedert Jan 11 9:30am CT
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Jake Elliott Jan 11 9:30am CT
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Javonte Williams Jan 11 9:30am CT
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Jaleel McLaughlin Jan 10 10:10pm CT
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Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin has been the slight favorite in a three-man committee backfield late in the season in a Broncos backfield that also involves Javonte Williams and rookie Audric Estime. It's really anyone's guess who might get into the end zone for Sunday's wild-card matchup against the Buffalo Bills on the road. McLaughlin is the slight favorite to lead the backfield in touches, though, after seeing 18 touches for 41 scrimmage yards in the Week 18 blowout win over the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs. The 24-year-old's 16 carries were a season-high. The Bills defense has allowed the eighth-most half-PPR points per game to RBs this year, but negative game script could limit opportunities for Denver's entire backfield with the Broncos being near 10-point underdogs. In 16 games, McLaughlin ranked 59th among RBs with 5.5 half-PPR points per game.

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Marvin Mims Jan 10 10:00pm CT
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Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. is one of the hottest wideouts in the league heading into a wild-card playoff matchup on Sunday in Orchard Park against the hosting Buffalo Bills. The Broncos made it a point to get Mims more involved in the offense late in the year, and it's really paid off, as the big-play second-year wideout caught all 13 of his targets for 154 yards and four touchdowns in the final two regular-season games. He has essentially become Denver's No. 2 behind target hog Courtland Sutton. Nobody is expecting Mims to score another two times against the Bills this weekend, but given his elevated usage in recent weeks, he's worth eyeing as a fantasy sleeper with WR2 upside against a Bills defense that allowed the most half-PPR points per game in the last five weeks. As nearly 10-point underdogs, the Broncos are expected to throw the ball plenty on Sunday.

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Courtland Sutton Jan 10 9:50pm CT
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Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton has essentially been a WR1 in fantasy since the midway point of the season, and that shouldn't change on wild-card weekend when the team travels to Buffalo to take on the Bills on Sunday. Buffalo's defense was a middle-of-the-pack matchup for opposing wideouts over the course of the season, but over the last five weeks, they allowed the most half-PPR points per game to receivers, including over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns. Sutton was the WR14 in half-PPR scoring during the regular season and ranked 13th among all pass-catchers with 135 targets. He's rookie quarterback Bo Nix's go-to target, and he should have a very safe floor this weekend in a game in which the Broncos are nearly 10-point underdogs. In addition to a safe target floor, Sutton has scored three times in the last four games.

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Bo Nix Jan 10 9:40pm CT
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Kyle Shanahan Jan 10 9:30pm CT
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Jamel Dean Jan 10 9:10pm CT
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Mike Edwards (quad) is officially questionable for Sunday's Wild-Card matchup with the visiting Washington Commanders. The Kentucky product sustained a quadricep injury in Tampa Bay's 27-19 win over the New Orleans Saints, logging back-to-back limited sessions to start the week. However, he'd upgrade his participation to a full practice on Friday -- putting himself in an excellent spot to be good to go against the Commanders. With fellow DBs Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee) and Jamel Dean (knee) also questionable for the outing, the Bucs are in danger of having a severely depleted secondary, as Troy Hill (knee, foot) has already been ruled out. Tampa Bay is a three-point favorite in the matchup, with the highest over/under of the first round (51).

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Ty Chandler Jan 10 9:00pm CT
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Eli Apple Jan 10 8:40pm CT
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Chris Jones Jan 10 8:30pm CT
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Jalen Hurts Jan 10 5:50pm CT
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The Green Bay Packers defense and special teams unit will have their hands full during their playoff matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild-Card round. The Eagles will have Jalen Hurts (concussion/finger), DeVonta Smith (back), and A.J. Brown (knee) all playing as they were removed from Friday's injury report for Sunday afternoon's game. Add 2,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley to the mix and the Packers have a lot to contend with. Luckily, the Packers allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points against wide receivers and the ninth-fewest rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks. Against fantasy running backs, the Packers are below average, allowing the 14th-most fantasy points. With the Packers' defense not playing at a high level in their final two games against the Vikings and Bears, the Packers are hard to trust on the road against a full-strength Eagles' offense. It's best to play another team for DFS or in playoff contests that use team defenses.

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The New York Jets interviewed Maryland head coach Mike Locksley for their head-coaching position on Friday, according to sources. Locksley was previously the offensive coordinator for Alabama and will get another head-coaching interview, although he should be considered a long shot for the job with the Jets leaving no stone unturned in their search. Locksley has gone 35-67 as a head coach at the collegiate level, although he's gone 32-36 over the last seven seasons for the Terps. The 55-year-old interviewed for the Miami Dolphins' head-coach opening back in 2022 before the Dolphins hired Mike McDaniel. He's the only one of the Jets' candidates that comes from the college ranks, but Locksley has developed a reputation for being a culture-builder. As the offensive coordinator in Alabama in 2018, the Crimson Tide set single-season records for points scored and total offense with a stacked roster.

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Kenny Pickett Jan 10 5:40pm CT
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Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Kenny Pickett (ribs) was limited in practice all week but was removed from the final injury report on Friday and will be available for Sunday's wild-card matchup against the visiting Green Bay Packers. Jalen Hurts (concussion, finger) was also cleared from the league's concussion protocol after he missed the final two games of the regular season, so Pickett will be back as Hurts' backup this weekend. Obviously, Pickett won't have any fantasy value whatsoever in the playoffs unless Hurts is injured again. The 26-year-old former Pittsburgh Steelers QB suffered broken ribs in Week 16's loss to the division-rival Washington Commanders and was pulled from his start in the Week 17 blowout win over the division-rival Dallas Cowboys before not playing in Week 18. In his five games (one start) in 2024, Pickett went 25-for-42 with 291 yards, two TDs and one interception.

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Romeo Doubs Jan 10 5:30pm CT
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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (illness) practiced in full all week and was removed from Friday's final injury report. After sitting out for rest purposes in the Week 18 loss to the division-rival Chicago Bears in the regular-season finale, Doubs will be ready to play on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles on the road on wild-card weekend. And with Christian Watson (knee) now done for the year with a torn ACL, the 24-year-old Doubs will have a higher fantasy ceiling, albeit against an Eagles secondary that won't be an easy matchup. And while Doubs should have slightly more opportunities, he will still be battling for targets with Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks. During the regular season, Doubs was outside the top-50 wideouts in half-PPR points per game with a 46-601-4 line in 13 games. Consider him a boom/bust WR2 sleeper in DFS and playoff formats this weekend.

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Jayden Reed Jan 10 5:30pm CT
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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed looks to right the ship following a backslide in regular season production as the Packers head to Philadelphia to play the Eagles in their Wild-Card game on Sunday afternoon. Reed's skills weren't utilized much after the Packers' Week 10 bye as he put up just one fantasy finish among the top 30 wide receivers. In the final eight games of the season, Reed averaged 3.5 targets, 2.4 receptions, and 36 total yards per game as the Packers leaned heavily on the run game. With Christian Watson (knee) out for the season with a torn ACL, there could be more opportunities for targets for the Packers' pass-catchers. Still, Reed is a high-ceiling option that comes with a shockingly low points floor. For playoff contests and DFS, Reed is a boom-or-bust sleeper option during Wild Card Weekend.

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Jamison Crowder Jan 10 5:30pm CT
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