The Denver Broncos played their tail off in the regular season and earned a first-round bye into the Divisional Round. Not only does this mean that the team has already advanced further into the playoffs than they did last year, but it also means that this team has an extra week to prepare and get healthy.
Bye weeks are a neat thing in the NFL - many of the best coaches in the league know how to navigate the bye with their players and typically win at a high level after the break. Fortunately, Sean Payton has excelled after the bye in his head coaching career.