Broncos Players Have Reported 'Irritation' Over Lack of Respect amid NFL's Best Record

The Denver Broncos are currently 12-2, have already clinched a playoff berth and sit atop the AFC standings at the moment.

Whether they are being respected as true Super Bowl contenders, however, is another matter entirely.

"I talked to multiple players, nobody even mentioned—not Sean Payton in his postgame speech, nobody—that they clinched a playoff spot with this win," James Palmer said on the Scoop City podcast (17:00 mark). "It was not mentioned. You know why? Adam Trautman, their tight end, was like, 'Don't misquote me. We all knew we were going to the postseason. We all knew. But we didn't discuss it. Why didn't we discuss it? Because our focus is on the No. 1 seed. This is one step closer to clearing the picture for the No. 1 seed.' ... The other part in that locker that stood out to me is there's a little irritation from these players, going, 'Are we gonna get this respect yet?'"

Part of the reason for that perceived disrespect is that nine of the team's wins during its current 11-game winning streak have come in one-possession games, and six have been by a margin of three points or less.

"Well, we talked about it at halftime and we said that's the habitat we've been living in," Payton told reporters while discussing Sunday's see-saw win over the Green Bay Packers. "... When you get comfortable operating in those games, you don't think anything of it."

Perhaps not, but that high-wire act perhaps still has some fans questioning whether the Broncos can sustain their current success or are simply playing with fire.