According to coach Sean Payton, the true inspiration is another team that recently rebounded from a 1–5 start to finish with a winning record last season. The 2022 Lions started even worse than Denver at 1–6 but went 8–2 in the second half of the campaign to compete for a playoff spot in the final week of the regular season.

The Denver Broncos have put the NFL on notice with five straight wins, but how sustainable the stream of success will be challenged in the weeks ahead