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For the first time in four years, Sean Payton is headed to the playoffs, and the Denver Broncos coach is realizing he missed the experience.

The seventh-seeded Broncos (10-7) visit the second-seeded Buffalo Bills (13-4) in an AFC wild-card game on Sunday.

Payton retired after 15 years as the New Orleans Saints’ coach following the 2021 season. He took over in Denver ahead of the 2023 season and now has the Broncos in the postseason to conclude his second season in charge.

Asked Friday what he missed about the playoffs, the 61-year-old coach said, “Just all of it. When you’re in it — and I’m not even talking about the playoffs. When the season begins, every hour … everything matters.

“It’s amazing, it seemed like yesterday we were starting the season. The weeks fly by. The detail — everything matters. Then all of a sudden when you’re away from it, there’s that void. There’s nothing like it. It’s enjoyable.

“I think working with young people — they seem younger now — but working with young people keeps you young and it keeps you energized. Working with a family. We are around these guys 24/7. Last night (being here at) 2 a.m. in the morning, working with the coaches on offense. It’s just exciting to still be playing.”

Payton is entering his 10th postseason as a head coach, and he guided the Saints to the Super Bowl championship following the 2009 season. That experience is passed along to his players, according to Broncos tight end Adam Trautman, who played his first two NFL seasons in New Orleans under Payton.

“It … helps when your head coach has been there a lot of times and he comes in and it’s not like a new head coach who’s like, ‘Oh, guys, like, we’re in the playoffs. Like, this is great,’ ” Trautman told DenverSports.com. “It’s like, ‘No, we’re in the playoffs and we’re here to win. Like, we plan on going to the next week and the next week and the next week and staying alive.’

“It’s not, ‘We’re satisfied with being here.’ ”

Comparing the current Broncos team to his 2020 Saints team that reached the playoffs, Trautman said, “I think it was different in a way, just because you had certain guys, like, obviously, like I was with Drew (Brees) the last year. … We’re young and hungry versus being, like the old stoic have-been-here-before (team).”

–Field Level Media