The first time Bill Parcells called Sean Payton was Christmas night, 2002. That conversation remains a gift, one unwrapped by the Broncos this season. In Year 2 of a project that was more of an HGTV rebuild than a heavy lift, Payton guided the Broncos into the playoffs for the first time since 2015. A year after marking his territory, Payton is claiming it — back in the postseason with his swagger and personality on full display. “Welcome new visitors,” he said with a smirk at the three-deep Wednesday news conference to discuss Sunday’s wild-card matchup at Buffalo. Among those least surprised he is in this spot is Parcells, his mentor and father figure. Parcells hired Payton as an assistant coach for the Dallas Cowboys two decades ago — a position that led to a successful run with the Saints, including a Super Bowl victory. The second act is playing out as many of those who know him expected. “Sean is now a veteran, experienced coach,” Parcells told The Post. “Well qualified to create his own path.” To say that Payton is back in the NFL tournament because of Parcells would be a lie. But would Payton have become the coach we know today without working for him? Absolutely not. Payton has compared coaching with the legend from 2003-2005 with the Cowboys to receiving a law degree in football. He has told numerous stories about Parcells’ influence since arriving in Denver, most notably on positional templates for draft picks, how to callous players in training camp and the benefits of creative friction. “I was pretty friendly with Sean when he was a Giants assistant coach. He let me know he was going to Dallas. I told him that it was the best move for his career. Everybody needs to work with Parcells before becoming a coach, from learning game management to how to deal with players,” said Gary Myers, who wrote for 29 years at The New York Daily News. “Of all the coaches who worked for Parcells, I always thought Sean was most like him.” Payton is the primary reason the Broncos have a chance to pull off an upset as an 8.5-point underdog to the Bills. He boasts a 9-8 playoff record, and the players feed off his confidence and experience. For many Broncos this is their first taste of the postseason. They will be looking in his direction. “He’s so detail-oriented. It’s like he knows exactly what is going to happen every single time. It’s the most bizarre thing,” veteran left tackle Garett Bolles said. “That’s why I think he has a photographic memory. Those big moments in a game, he’s been there and done that. And he can quote when it happened, how it happened, who it was against. … Those are the coaches who are the best.” Payton is not an imposing figure. But he can intimidate with a glare and assert his control with a scream. Not since Mike Shanahan has a Broncos coach been more sure of where he was going and what he was doing. Shanahan is the Broncos’ greatest coach, and he believes the job Payton has done is “fantastic.” This is the time of year when Payton is needed most. The margin for error shrinks. There are no more NFC South opponents on the schedule. Payton shed light on his message this week, describing how one penalty, one sack, one mistake can decide the outcome. “My main two head coaches I played for were (Patriots’) Bill (Belichick) and Sean. They have their differences and similarities. They come from that Parcells tree. And it’s very structured, which personally I love. There are details in everything, but it is a very big picture, too,” said quarterback Jarrett Stidham, the first free agent Payton brought to Denver. “There is always a reminder of why we are doing it this way. I knew he was different from the first freaking conversation I had with him. Just talking to me, he made clear what his plan was, what his goals were and how we are going to get there. He laid out the steps and sure enough he’s been right the whole way.” There are few secrets this time of year. Payton must have them tucked in his hoodie sleeve. Will he work with quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, a former Bills backup, and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to create a plan to confuse Josh Allen, who has dominated blitzing defenses like the Broncos’ all season? Will he devise an attack that highlights deep routes for Marvin Mims Jr. given the Bills’ low blitz and pressure rate? “I saw it in my first rookie mini-camp. His attention to detail is just different,” Mims said. In this December 2006 file photo, then Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, right, shakes hands with New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton after the Saints defeated the Cowboys 42-17 in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, file) Payton speaks to reporters in pauses, choosing his words carefully not because he fears a misstep but because he wants to clearly make his point. It is easy to see why it makes his players pay close attention. Receiver Emmanuel Sanders won a Super Bowl with the Broncos in 2015 with Gary Kubiak, whose stern-father leadership blended perfectly with an experienced team. Sanders played for Payton on the Saints in 2020, which marked the coach’s last postseason appearance when he knocked out the Bears and lost to the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers. “Sean Payton is a winner. I tell people all the time, there are certain coaches who are Hall of Famers. He is a Hall of Fame coach to me. He’s always ahead of the sticks. He’s so smart. He really knows what he’s doing,” Sanders said. “… I knew at some point the Broncos would be back because we have a leader. It all starts with him.” Related Articles Sports Columnists | Broncos’ P.J. Locke on Jets’ interest in DC Vance Joseph as head coach: “He deserves it” Sports Columnists | Broncos QB coach Davis Webb made the playoffs three times in Buffalo and now will try to help rookie QB Bo Nix win there against his old team Sports Columnists | Broncos scouting report: How Denver matches up with Bills and predictions Sports Columnists | The 10 moments that made the Broncos’ playoff return a reality Sports Columnists | Broncos and Bills enter Wild Card weekend as two of the NFL’s elite teams in one of Sean Payton’s favorite stats: Sack differential And in many ways, it started with Parcells. The teacher will be watching. “Let’s get a win at Buffalo,” Parcells said. Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.