The Denver Broncos are on a bye week, but it hasn’t silenced the buzz about defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. His name has been making headlines for the potential head coach position. However, he remains unfazed by the growing speculation, as he recently opened up about it.

“I think it’s cool, but obviously the job is the job and the job is the Broncos’ coordinator,” Joseph said. “It’s flattering, but my second time through the process, or my third or fourth time through the process, I know it’s about winning. And everyone wants to hire winners; they want to hire someone who’s fixed something.”

What drives Joseph is maintaining the Broncos’ defensive resurgence and helping the team solidify its identity. Teams seeking a head coach want a leader who can lift up a unit and bring stability. Hence, he added:

“There’s no better example than what we’ve done in the last three years. I think we’ve shown how to help minds, learning how to fix a team. I think the key is to win.”

Joseph also spoke about how much he has learned in his three seasons working under Payton, especially the importance of consistency and culture.

”How he paints the picture for each player. Each week’s game plan,” Joseph said. “The best thing (Payton) has done is change the culture and that’s players. How we draft players – the draft process is a deep dive into players. The person, the player, what’s the vision for the player?”

“There’s no guessing when you’re drafting players and we’ve drafted really well the last three years,” he continued.

The coordinator pointed at the way Payton methodically maps out a game plan and prepares players to understand their roles. He also adds that cultural change has been the real factor in Denver’s rise. Of course, Joseph’s connection to head-coaching conversations is not new. He previously was the Broncos’ head coach from 2017–18 before getting fired. He also spent the next four years directing Arizona’s defense.

Now, with Denver sitting among the league’s best in critical defensive categories, Joseph is once again positioned as a strong candidate for head coaching role for the teams. But he isn’t campaigning for anything. His focus remains on the Broncos.

And if a head-coaching opportunity emerges down the line?

“If it happens, I’ll be happy,” he said, before mentioning, “And if it doesn’t, I’m still going to have a good job.”

But his priority is Denver and his defensive team.

Commanders’ challenge for Denver

As Denver prepares to return from its bye, Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is gearing up to test the Broncos’ strengths. He did not give away his game plan, but made one thing crystal clear.

”You’ve heard me say the run, the run actions, the screens, those are the things that can set you forward,” he said, adding that those elements will be ”high value not just this week but moving forward.”

Rather than designing everything specifically around Denver’s top-tier front, Quinn framed the game as another step toward shaping Washington’s offensive identity – one built on balance, rhythm, and physicality, regardless of opponent. The Broncos rank in the top three in yards allowed per game and yield just 3.6 yards per carry.

Washington, however, heads into Week 13 with a top-five rushing attack of its own, while Denver comes in at 9-2, winners of eight straight and leaders of the AFC West. Washington’s at 3-8, still seeking some semblance of stability and hoping its run game can prop up the offense in a tough matchup.