Coach Sean Payton reminded the Denver Broncos this week that only one team in the AFC receives a bye in the playoffs.

“That’s significant,” he said.

The Broncos (9-2), who have won eight games in a row, are a half-game back of the top spot entering Sunday night’s road game against the Washington Commanders (3-8).

“It’s right there in front of us,” Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said. “The job’s definitely not even close to being finished yet, but we have put ourselves in this spot to obtain it.”

The Commanders opened the season thinking they’d be chasing the top seed in the NFC, but key injuries and a struggling defense have contributed to six straight losses.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels will miss his sixth game of the season — and third in a row with a dislocated left elbow — but the Commanders did get some good news with top receiver Terry McLaurin returning Sunday after sitting out seven of the past eight games with a quad injury.

But another starting wideout, Noah Brown, remains sidelined.

For McLaurin, a turbulent season started when he missed training camp because of a contract holdout. He signed an extension in time for the opener, only to injure his quad in the third game. His return in Week 8 ended when he aggravated the injury.

“I feel better this time around than I did last time,” McLaurin said. “I don’t really have any tightness in my injury area. I feel like my acceleration is there, just kind of that next gear that I have. I’m just not really thinking about it at all.”

Brown left the team’s Week 2 game with a groin injury, and missed preseason time with a knee injury.

Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota said having McLaurin back will allow Washington to stretch the field and better utilize tight end Zach Ertz.

“I think being able just to create matchups in our favor and create advantages,” he said. “We like our matchups with any of those guys outside and then add that on top of what Deebo (Samuel) and Zach can do inside, I think that creates a lot of versatility.”

Both teams will enter the game coming off their bye week. Washington coach Dan Quinn said seeing almost his whole team out on the practice field Monday brought a sense of optimism for a strong finish.

“For me as a coach, having a full crew who can practice, man, like that’s exciting,” he said. “Monday, I felt, coming back, that was probably the first time we had a bigger group together for a practice for the entire season. So that was a big step forward.”

Payton doesn't plan to take the Commanders lightly, knowing every game is crucial if the Broncos want to secure the top seed.

“These guys are smart enough to know what these games count for,” the coach said.

The Oregon connection

Both quarterbacks on Sunday are former standouts with the Oregon Ducks.

Nix intersected with Mariota several times over the years in Eugene, and had praise for him.

“He’s a great guy,” Nix said. “When he was at Oregon I was back in elementary, grade school, loved watching him play. He was one of the best quarterbacks of his time, of his generation.”

Nix said Mariota was always approachable during offseason workouts, and said he’s “very humble for all that he’s done.”

Weather concerns

Never one to leave anything to chance, Payton is preparing his team for potential cold and rainy conditions on Sunday night.

Payton noted that Sunday’s game is the annual “My Cause, My Cleats” benefit, but encouraged his players to evaluate if those cleats would be right for the conditions. He also noted that the Commanders resodded their field during a trip to Spain and the bye week, so it hasn’t been played on before.

“Whatever the conditions are, wherever we play, there’s a lot of things that travel,” he said, referencing defense and being able to run the ball.

Here come the youngsters

At 3-8, Washington turns its attention to the future. Quinn is in his second season and said a strong finish would help build on the foundation and culture he's worked to establish during that time.

He indicated some of the team's younger players would get more opportunities down the stretch.

“There are some people that I think are making those steps,” he said. "Like (linebacker) Jordan Magee is one that I’m feeling that type of step going to the next spot.

“I was pleased to see (Jacoby) Jones make a big play ... at receiver. And so, when those moments come and you’re helping the guys develop, that’s a big deal.”

How an injury hiatus turned the Broncos' Pat Surtain II into a football fan

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Pat Surtain II focused on faith, family and just being a football fan during his monthlong hiatus from the Denver Broncos' lineup because of a strained left pectoral muscle.

The NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year is set to return to action this weekend when the Broncos (9-2) put their eight-game winning streak on the line at the Washington Commanders (3-8), who are are also coming off a bye week.

“It feels great, honestly,” Surtain said of returning to practice this week. “It's been a long couple of weeks not being out there. But I'm grateful and blessed to be back — to be back healthy.”

Surtain got hurt making a tackle in Denver’s 44-24 rout of the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8. Although Surtain is the fulcrum of coordinator Vance Joseph's defense, the Broncos went 3-0 in his absence, limiting the Texans, Raiders and Chiefs to an average of 13.6 points.

“Them dudes are playing lights out,” Surtain said. “And it made me a fan to watch on the sideline. Just being out there seeing from my lenses, you could see those guys were playing with a full head of confidence. And you could tell everybody was together.

“When you look at stuff like that, it makes it even more excited to get back out there with the guys.”

Denver's emergence as a Super Bowl contender helped Surtain ignore any thoughts of having to rush his return, he said.

“I took my time with it,” Surtain said, “but also I was anxious to get back.”

Surtain said that when he first got hurt, he wasn't sure if his season was over.

“At first I didn't really know the severity of it,” he said. “Obviously in the heat of the moment you don't know if it's a tear or a strain, but I got the best news I could get from it. It was just a partial tear. ... I attacked rehab the right way, got it back stronger, got it back healthier.”

A full tear would have sidelined Surtain until 2026.

Surtain praised the play of backup cornerbacks Kris Abrams-Draine and rookie first-round pick Jahdae Barron while he was sidelined.

“Oh, they stood out for me,” Surtain said.

Surtain had never missed so much time in his five years in the NFL or in his three seasons at Alabama.

“So, it was a little different for me,” he said, ”because I was able to do things that I don't normally do, you know, spend some quality time with the family, talk with the family. I was more at home than usual. So, it comes with the good and bad, but through this time sitting out I was able to gain a lot."

And the Broncos just kept on winning.

Wild win seventh straight with 3-2 shootout victory over Colorado

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov had two goals in regulation, Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy scored in the shootout, and the Minnesota Wild extended their winning streak to seven games with a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.

Minnesota, a league-best 11-1-1 in November, got 39 saves from Jesper Wallstedt, who won his sixth straight start and improved to 7-0-2 this season.

The loss was the first in 11 games for Colorado, now 10-0-2 in November.

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and assist, and Gabriel Landeskog also scored for the Avalanche. Scott Wedgewood stopped 35 shots, but his career-high eight-game winning streak ended.

The game was the eighth time in NHL history each team had a winning streak of six-plus contests entering play. The last was Jan. 7, 2020, when Tampa Bay and Vancouver met with seven-game streaks.

With the teams tied 1-1 in the shootout, Boldy beat Wedgewood in the third round and Wallstedt made a glove save on Cale Makar.

Landeskog tied the game with less than nine minutes to play in regulation, outmuscling Brock Faber for a puck at the right post and lifting it past Wallstedt.

MacKinnon became the first NHL player to reach 40 points this season with his first-period goal. Alone in the crease, MacKinnon was the beneficiary of Artturi Lehkonen forcing a blind pass by Kaprizov from the wall.

Kaprizov evened the game 12 minutes into the second period with his 200th career goal, coming down the slot to tip in a pass from Zeev Buium. Kaprizov’s 114th career home goal set a franchise record.

It was the first goal allowed in four games by the Avalanche, who set a franchise record of 221:42 without giving up a goal.

Kaprizov converted a feed from Ryan Hartman with 1:57 left in the second period for a 2-1 Minnesota lead.

Up next

Avalanche: Host Montreal on Saturday.

Wild: Host Buffalo on Saturday night.

Allen, Fleischmann each score 2 TDs in Air Force's 42-21 win over Colorado State

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Owen Allen dashed for 107 yards and two touchdowns, Bruin Fleischmann caught both of his targets for 61 yards and two touchdowns, and Air Force took down Colorado State 42-21 on Friday to recapture the Ram-Falcon Trophy in the final game of the season for both teams.

The Falcons (4-8, 3-5 Mountain West) took the lead on the opening drive of the game as Fleischmann hauled in a 55-yard receiving score. Air Force scored on three of its four first-half drives, and only punted once throughout the game.

Josh Johnson completed all four of his passing attempts for 104 yards and two touchdowns, and added 22 yards and a score on the ground.

The Rams (2-10, 1-7) were led by Jackson Brousseau's 323 yards and two touchdowns on 28-of-37 passing. It's the first 10-loss season since 1988 for Colorado State, which is leaving the Mountain West to play in the Pac-12 next season.

Air Force holds the edge in the series, 40-22-1, and have won eight of the last nine meetings.

Bangot Dak's double-double helps Colorado defeat Washington for Acrisure Holiday Classic title

PALM DESERT, Calif. (AP) — Bangot Dak had 15 points and 11 rebounds, four teammates reached double digits in scoring, and Colorado defeated Washington 81-68 on Friday in the championship game of the Acrisure Holiday Classic.

Isaiah Johnson scored 13 points, Alon Michaeli 12, and Sebastian Rancik and Felix Kossaras 11 each for the Buffaloes (7-0). Barrington Hargress had eight assists.

Quimari Peterson scored 18 points for Washington (5-2) and Desmond Claude added 14 points.

Colorado led throughout the first half and the score was 47-30 at halftime. Washington scored the first seven points in the second half. A couple of minutes later a 15-1 run by the Huskies tied the score at 52 with about 11 1/2 minutes left but the Huskies never took the lead.

Kossaras hit two 3-pointers for the Buffaloes, helping them go ahead 62-55 and moments later a 6-0 run had the Buffs back in charge, 72-61. The Huskies were 4 for 13 shooting and attempted only two free throws in the final eight minutes.

In the opening minutes of the game, Colorado scored the first seven points and also led 11-2.

A layup by Rancik made it 20-9 with 12 1/2 minutes remaining in the half and Colorado led by double digits the rest of the half. Colorado outshot Washington 55%-28% in the first half.

Up next

Colorado: The Buffaloes host Cal Baptist on Monday.

Washington: UCLA visits for a Big Ten opener on Tuesday.

Pascarelli's eight 3-pointers, 28 total points, help Colorado State knock off South Florida 83-68

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Josh Pascarelli's 28 points helped Colorado State defeat South Florida 83-68 in the fifth-place game of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Friday.

Pascarelli went 10 of 11 from the field (8 for 8 from 3-point range) for the Rams (6-2). Carey Booth scored 16 points and added six rebounds. Jase Butler shot 3 for 4 (3 for 3 from 3-point range) and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points.

Wes Enis led the Bulls (4-4) in scoring, finishing with 17 points. South Florida also got 14 points and six assists from Adriel Nyorha. Daimion Collins finished with 10 points.

Colorado State took the lead for good with 12:28 left in the first half. The score was 33-29 at halftime, with Pascarelli racking up 16 points. Colorado State pulled away with a 14-0 run in the second half to extend a three-point lead to 17 points. The Rams outscored South Florida by 11 points in the final half, as Pascarelli led the way with a team-high 12 second-half points.