No matter how often Sean Payton reminds us what a genius he was for Bo-lieving in his young quarterback, the only real chance the Broncos have to make a Super Bowl run in 2025 depends on the brilliance of Vance Joseph’s defense.

So when another dog day of summer training camp was finished Tuesday, I asked Joseph:

What’s the next step this Denver defense must take to become truly championship caliber?

“The next step is avoiding the awkward big plays, the awkward series,” said Joseph, architect of the best defense we’ve seen in this dusty old cowtown since outside linebacker Von Miller and the Broncos defense broke the spirit of Carolina quarterback Cam Newton in Super Bowl 50

“If you’re going to be dominant, that’s every down, every game, every quarter. That’s our goal.”

Dominance cannot afford to take off so much as a single down?

“Absolutely not,” Joseph replied. “And that’s been my focus, from the spring until now … How we finish, how we hustle, how we communicate, how we engage in every single play is important.”

During the NFL moments that matter most, a truly dominant “D” can’t afford one bad snap.

To illustrate Joseph’s point, I give you a single play from the otherwise remarkable 2024 season, when the Broncos and a rookie quarterback named Nix earned Denver a playoff berth for the first time in a decade.

The date: Jan. 12, 2025

The scene: Playoff game in Buffalo

The score: 13-7 Bills

The time: 3:06 remaining in third quarter

Ball on: Denver’s 24-yard line

Down: Fourth

Distance needed to move sticks: One yard

On a winter afternoon when the Denver offense couldn’t run and Nix couldn’t hide his playoff inexperience, the Broncos clung to the slim hope of upsetting Buffalo on the road because Joseph’s defense stubbornly refused to fold.

With Buffalo dominating play but unable to put Denver away, Bills coach Sean McDermott decided to eschew attempting a field goal from 41 yards that had the potential to make this playoff match-up a two-score game late in the third quarter.

McDermott instead gambled on the ability of his best player, wagering that either the dangerous throwing arm or strong legs of quarterback Josh Allen could gain a yard to keep a drive alive deep in Denver territory.

The drama unfolded with Allen taking the snap in shotgun formation. After a quick glance to his left, he looked to hit wide receiver Curtis Samuel on a quick rub route, only to discover Denver cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian wasn’t fooled.

Then, Allen jab-stepped in the pocket, searching for a running lane that never materialized.

With the ticking of each agonizing second, the advantage appeared to swing to the Denver defense. Allen was forced into full retreat, hopping impatiently and waving furiously with his left hand for a receiver to work back and find a window to deliver a pass.

The play design had fallen apart at the seams, and Allen was on his feet only because Buffalo’s offensive line had kept Denver’s fearsome pass rush, which led the league in QB sacks, at bay.

Denver outside linebackers Jonathon Cooper and Dondrea Tillman never gave up, but more than 6.5 seconds after the snap – an eternity for a play at the NFL level to unfold – they couldn’t put a hand on Allen.

Given that exorbitant amount of time, Allen unloaded his cannon. His desperate shot found a diving Ty Johnson in the back of the end zone, and Johnson scraped the pass off the turf for a 24-yard touchdown.

The catch was disputed by Denver players on the field, but replay upheld the TD, and Buffalo quickly added a two-point conversion to stretch its lead to 21-7.

It was time to warm up buses for the Broncos, pack their bags and go home to watch the remainder of the playoffs on television.

How to describe the play that put a dagger in Denver’s season?

Well, upon further review, two words that come to mind:

Awkward. And big.

That’s exactly what Joseph is talking about.

Get a stop on a critical fourth-down snap, and it was far from a guarantee Denver would’ve departed Buffalo with a victory.

But that’s exactly the kind of stop a truly dominant defense makes with a win-or-go-home game on the line.

Maybe it was the caffeine in his latte talking, but on a recent summer day, Payton told Yahoo Sports that Nix would be among the league’s top five quarterbacks within the next two years.

Well, in the AFC alone, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Allen aren’t going anywhere. 

And furthermore … Payton boldly predicted “this is a team capable of winning the Super Bowl.”

Hey, we all love to see the swagger back at Broncos Park.

But the burden will be on Joseph’s defense to deliver on Payton’s loose talk.

Pressure?

“Pressure is a privilege,” Joseph said.

And a championship defense beats with a restless heart.