Coach gives Broncos day off for hard-working win

ENGLEWOOD – In NFL circles, a win on Sunday usually means a “Victory Monday,” which is a day off from meetings, practice and workouts.

Even though the Broncos won their first four games, coach Josh McDaniels had his squad come in every Monday to watch the film and make corrections. After win No. 5, McDaniels finally gave them a treat.

Even though the Broncos have an extra day of preparation before their next game against San Diego, McDaniels made it clear that the reason his players weren’t required to come to the building today because he was rewarding them for a hard-fought overtime win over the New England Patriots.

“As the year goes on you try to give them a little extra rest, and also give them a reward for playing a tough game, a physical game,” McDaniels said. “And try to give them a little bit of a bone as we head into a long week – because we’re going to have a long week.”

McDaniels said he didn’t want to give them a “Victory Monday” right away because the team had so many things to correct after their first four wins. But the time was right after the Patriots game, even though McDaniels said there was plenty of mistakes. The team will take advantage of the extra day and watch film of Sunday’s win Wednesday.

The Broncos’ next game is one of the biggest of the season. Denver leads 2-2 San Diego in the AFC West and could extend its lead to three-and-a-half games with a win next Monday night. McDaniels has coached at San Diego as an assistant and knows beating the Chargers is a tough challenge.

“It’s a tough place to play,” McDaniels said. “I’ve been there a number of times without much success. We’re going to have our work cut out, obviously.”