One by one on Sunday night, the cavalry marched out from a locker room dripping with well-earned sweat and well-earned euphoria — heading home to revel in Courtland Sutton’s prescribed “24-hour rule,” to sit on the laurels of an 11-game win streak in Denver. But few left without first acknow ledging “General Sutton,” standing in front of the locker nearest the hallway and giving the troops their due. Someone yelled “GOAT!” in Sutton’s direction. The Broncos receiver didn’t see him. He did see exuberant defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, seconds later. “Big Roach, talk to ’em!” Sutton shouted. “Talk to ’em!” “Aye, bro,” Roach barked back, “you one of one!” Pat Surtain II, Broncos defense shows championship mettle in second-half torrent vs. Packers Then came defensive end John Franklin-Myers, following in stride. "JFM, talk to 'em!" Sutton shouted. "Court," Franklin-Myers replied, utterly serious, "you the best player in the league." In the aftermath of the Broncos' most authoritative win yet -- a 34-26 shootout over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday -- this thread of shared faith in Sutton snaked from locker to locker, a near cult-hero-level appreciation for the 6-foot-4 bastion of this surging Denver roster. This win started with him; the Broncos finally got some offensive momentum going when quarterback Bo Nix found Sutton for a quick first down, sitting in a zone in the second quarter. This win ended with him, Nix, launching a 26-yard fade to Sutton on a fourth-and-two to extend the game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. Sutton finished with seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown, in a stat-line that somehow understated the 30-year-old receiver's stabilizing effect on Denver's pulse. Related Articles Renck: With Bo Nix, offense playing like this, it’s time to start looking for Broncos Super Bowl tickets Keeler: Broncos, Alex Singleton get last laugh as Packers’ pregame intimidation hilariously backfires Pat Surtain II, Broncos defense shows championship mettle in second-half torrent vs. Packers Broncos’ Riley Moss rides ups and downs again en route to key interception in win over Packers PHOTOS: Denver Broncos clinched playoff berth after defeating the Green Bay Packers 34-26 in NFL Week 15 A few minutes after zeroes flashed, Sutton bounded over to tight end Evan Engram's locker, who'd had a quiet day: one catch for 12 yards on three targets. Sutton proceeded to gas Engram up for a minute straight for his choice of postgame attire, as the stalwart 31-year-old tight end broke into a wide smile. "I tell him every week, he's the best in the world," Engram told The Post after Sutton departed, still grinning. "He's the best in the world at what he does." "Year 8 for him, like, he’s the hardest-working guy at practice every day," Engram continued. "Every day. At this point in the season, the way he works, it’s only right -- I mean, it’s inevitable for him to make plays like that. Probably our most trustworthy guy on our team, in big moments.” Over the course of three seasons in Denver, that trust has extended up the totem pole to the man in the headset. At every turn through turbulent offensive waters in 2025, Sean Payton has turned to Sutton in big moments. He told Sutton in Week 5 in Philadelphia, as captured by NFL Films, that he was going to him on the first play of the afternoon against the reigning Super Bowl Champions. The following week against New York, Payton turned to a play for Sutton he'd installed in the previous day's walk-through to set up a game-winning field goal. And with the Broncos up 27-26 on Green Bay in the fourth quarter Sunday, Payton again placed his bets on his No. 1 wideout's ability to beat anyone in front of him. "Last year was when it was like, ‘This is our guy,'" tight end Adam Trautman reflected. "Like, our No. 1. Like, when we need a play in a critical situation, find 14. Because even when he’s covered, he’s not.” On a third-and-3 from the Packers' 42-yard line, Nix took a shot to Sutton on a go route that fell incomplete. Denver had 9 minutes left and the lead in hand. Rather than try for a long field goal from kicker Wil Lutz or try to pin Green Bay up against their own end zone off a punt, Payton trotted his offense back out. And rather than opt for a quick-hit crossing concept to sneak past the first-down marker, Payton isolated Sutton on the outside against Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine. "We want to be aggressive," Payton said, when asked about his trust in Sutton in that moment. "Remember, sometimes – that’s why the whole analytics things don’t work. Because the analytics don’t tell you who the quarterback (is), and how the other team’s doing offensively." Analytics, too, don't reveal Nix's implicit feel for where Sutton is on the grass at any given moment. Or the 216-pound Sutton's matchup against a 189-pound corner. Nix dropped back, glanced right, looked left, and lofted a 26-yard beauty as Sutton roasted Valentine off the line. And Sutton tumbled out of bounds with a first down, the Broncos capping off the eventual game-winning drive four plays later with a touchdown from rookie running back RJ Harvey. Why would Payton have that much faith in Sutton -- to go for broke when he needed 2 measly yards? “He’s just efficient," Engram said. "Like, you have to. And just the relationship Bo and him have built, and just who he is as a player, and his history here and who he’s been for this organization -- like, that’s only right. "He’s our best player. So it’s like, we gotta keep feeding him the ball.” Sutton will not demand it. His role has fluctuated on any given week in Payton's offense, as defenses decide whether to load up against the run or send extra help in Sutton's direction. But his total target share will never overshadow one glaring reality that this Broncos offense -- and Payton's gumption as Denver's play-caller -- has come to congeal around. "One-on-one with anyone in the league," fellow receiver Marvin Mims Jr. told The Post, "I like Courtland Sutton.” Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis. ...read more read less