Broncos remain only worried about themselves

OAKLAND • After Sunday’s win, Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels seemed a bit surprised when a Bay Area reporter asked about the offseason “sideshow” surrounding the franchise.

Aside from the unusual timing of the question, McDaniels never figured there was a sideshow. Yes, there were some odd times for the Broncos’ franchise this offseason and he undoubtedly heard some of the criticism, but he didn’t care. He stuck to his plan, which looks solid so far after a 23-3 win over Oakland gave the Broncos a 3-0 record.

“We have always had confidence regardless of everybody else’s opinion,” McDaniels said Sunday. “It doesn’t really matter what anybody else thinks. All that matters is what we think.”

Early success has helped McDaniels. Players are buying into what he and the rest of his staff is selling.

“We believe everything coach is saying to us in meetings,” safety Renaldo Hill said. “He’s showing us on film that when we do those things right, this is what can happen.”

Denver keeps building. The Broncos have improved every week, which is the sign of a well-coached team. And they’ll need to keep improving because starting Sunday when the Broncos play Dallas, the schedule gets much tougher.

“We have had individual players improve,” McDaniels said. “We have had teams — offensively, defensively, different units in the kicking game — get better. I think that is just a combination of the attitude that they come into each week with, the approach that they are taking.”