Sean Payton knows October is going to be a big month for his team

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton knows October is moving month in the NFL.

The contenders get separated from the pretenders. Is your team going to be chasing a playoff spot or focused on the 2025 NFL Draft?

At 2-2, the Broncos salvaged their season with a perfect 2-0 road trip. And now the schedule shapes up favorably with three home games as the leaves are changing and the weather is getting cooler.

First up is the Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday, followed by the Chargers. Then it’s a trip to New Orleans for Thursday Night Football before the putrid Panthers come to town and Halloween is shortly after.

“October is important in our league. In other words, these first four weeks were a race to improve and were a beginning. But October is an important month,” Payton said on Friday.

Realistically, the Broncos can leave October at 5-3. That would set them up nicely for a postseason push the rest of the way.

But the head coach is only focused on this weekend, and he knows it’s a pivotal game to keep the momentum rolling and hopefully extend Denver’s winning streak to three.

“Look, you can go through it, we’re home, it’s a division opponent, I know it’s the Raiders. And it’s a special weekend for a lot of former players too. And that matters,” Payton said.

What Payton is referring to at the end is the Broncos will have more than 120 alumni in town this weekend. The team is “throwing it back” to 1977 with basically everything, including the uniforms and the field.

Plus, the Broncos will induct Riley Odoms and Steve Foley into the Ring of Fame at halftime, as well as honor new Hall of Famer Randy Gradishar pregame.

It’s a huge game for Denver. And it kicks off a month the head coach knows has a chance to define their season.