Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton confirms questionable decision ahead of Week 7

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton confirms questionable decision ahead of Week 7 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Denver Broncos put forth a sluggish, sloppy effort on Sunday against the , but still won the game 13-11. They used a strong defensive performance to make up for a weak offensive showing to get to 4-2 on the season. 

It seems like it would be a good time for the team to have a break and historically, teams that have played in an international game have had their bye week. But with the league expanding on its international schedule, a week off following one of those games is no longer a guarantee. 

However, following the win over the Jets, Broncos coach Sean Payton has confirmed that the organization did not want its bye week to come in Week 7 after the trip across the pond. 

#Broncos coach Sean Payton said they fell into their normal week's schedule after they got here. Payton reiterated that the Broncos asked to have no bye after this game and said teams with no bye after such games have a better game than those with byes.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) October 12, 2025

Instead, the Broncos will return home to battle the next Sunday, making NFL history in the process. The Broncos will become the first team in history to host a game in the Western or Pacific time zone following a game in London just one week prior. And that history will be what they asked for. 

READ:Winners, losers and one huge difference-maker for Broncos in Week 6

The upcoming schedule is favorable for the Broncos. They have four of their next five games at Empower Field before going into the bye in Week 12. Whether that will be a better time for it than the upcoming week remains to be seen. 

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