ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Broncos coach Sean Payton has a habit of painting the opposing team’s logo at midfield to get his team accustomed to the look of it in the days leading up to away games.
Thus, when his Broncos convened for practice on Thursday, the familiar eagle-head logo of the Philadelphia Eagles greeted them at the 50-yard lines of both fields.
But when stretching began Thursday afternoon, another sound also rang out: the Eagles’ fight song.
“FLY EAGLES FLY, ON THE ROAD TO VICTORY …”
“Yeah, playing that is b.s., man,” edge rusher Nik Bonitto said.
“But, I mean, we know he’s trying to do. He. He’s just trying to get us ready for the game on Sunday, so, you know, it is what it is.”
So, if Payton wanted to rankle his players and get under their skin a bit … mission accomplished.
“I mean, obviously it worked,” Broncos edge rusher Jonathon Cooper said. “Whatever his goal was, I feel like it worked.
“… I’m a motivated guy and I love competition, I love competing. And obviously, we know the challenge that we have this weekend, so it got me revved up, for sure. Got me revved up. I’m ready to go.”
It didn’t have the same effect on right tackle Mike McGlinchey, but with good reason … he’s a Philadelphia-area product. At this point, he’s immune to the song’s charms — or annoyances, depending on your perspective.
“It’s a song I’ve been hearing since I was a kindergartner, so, it’s one that I’m used to. It’s one, that sung to me every time I go home to the Jersey Shore,” he said.
“So, yeah, it means nothing to me. It’s a, it’s a cool song and it’s cool when they win.
“But hopefully we don’t hear that song a lot this week.”
And that’s the goal.
BRONCOS FACE STERN ROAD CHALLENGE
The Eagles have lost just once in the last calendar year and have won 13 consecutive games at Lincoln Financial Field, including during their January postseason run to Super Bowl LIX.
Meanwhile, the Broncos have taken on a Jekyll-and-Hyde quality since the start of last December, a stretch covering 10 games.
At home in that stretch, they’re 5-0 with an average victory margin of 19.6 points. On the road, they’re 0-5, losing by an average of 8.2 points — with four of the five defeats by one score.
Of course, the quality of opponents — and their quarterbacks — is relevant, too. The opposing starting passers in those home games were Jameis Winston, Anthony Richardson, Carson Wentz, Cam Ward and Jake Browning.
On the road, the Broncos faced Justin Herbert (twice), Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and Daniel Jones — a player off to such a robust start this season, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell placed him No. 2 on his early-season MVP list.
Sunday brings Jalen Hurts and the defending world champions. And a chance for the Broncos to do what they have done just once — at Tampa Bay last year — in the last two seasons: beat a quality foe at full strength.
The valid critique of these Broncos is that their rise into the discussion of contending teams has come despite a paucity of signature wins.
They’ve come close, but have failed to close the deal time and again.
“We’ve been in this game before, going against the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Chiefs last year, going to their place,” Cooper said.
“So, we’ve been in these type of games before, and we’re more experienced this time and, yeah, I feel like we’ll be even more ready for the moment.”
And, perhaps, ready to do enough to prevent them from hearing that blasted song too often on Sunday.
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