Sean Payton says ‘no shell games on the scoreboard’ at Empower Field

Sean Payton is not here for the Empower Field scoreboard trivia.

Shuffle caps? Kiss cams? This date in history?

The time for all of that is long gone, according to the Broncos head coach.

Payton is, of course, focused on getting his Denver team prepared for a Week 18 game with real stakes. If the Broncos beat the Los Angeles Chargers — playing without quarterback Justin Herbert and likely several other starters — on Sunday on what’s slated to be a near-60-degree afternoon, they will capture the No. 1 seed in the AFC and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

That advantage, Payton and the Broncos believe, is substantial. The altitude matters. So, too, does the crowd noise.

So if the Broncos are in business mode, Payton wants the crowd and the Empower Field game operations folks to be, too.

The head coach has said previously and reiterated Wednesday that the key is for the crowd noise to peak when the opposing offense is in the huddle rather than once the group gets to the line of scrimmage or after a play.

“I say this — I’m not being critical — but earlier. Earlier,” Payton said of the noise peaking. “So, no shell games on the scoreboard. No ‘follow the Bronco head’ or any of that. When they’re getting in the huddle — deafening.

“That’s the 12th man. There can be no better one. (Texas) A&M coined that phrase and then the Seahawks bought it from them. It really fits. That is what’s so exciting about this game and then what a win in this game can do for the next couple of games.”

Players and coaches have all said that the past two games in particular at Empower Field — the Week 15 win against Green Bay and a Week 16 loss to Jacksonville — have been among the loudest they’ve heard the stadium.

“It definitely feels like a playoff atmosphere and I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like during the playoffs,” All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II said. “So to have that crowd noise and have that crowd, it definitely gives a lot of energy and a lot of momentum moving forward.

“It’s fun to play out there. It’s a surreal experience to be able to have a fan base that cheers you on and supports you in that way. Definitely appreciate all the fans and the support in that regard.”

Reserve defensive lineman Jordan Jackson pointed back to safety P.J. Locke’s personal foul for hitting Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence on a play that the officiating crew tried to blow dead as an example. Almost everybody on both lines of scrimmage kept playing and Lawrence did, too, momentarily. Locke charged into the backfield and rocked the quarterback, drawing a penalty.

“It’s funny, because we were all standing there (on the sideline) and none of us heard the whistle,” Jackson, who was inactive for the game, told The Denver Post. “So it was like, ‘what happened?’”

If the Broncos beat the Chargers, Denver is going to not only get a week of rest but also is guaranteed that the divisional round and, with a win, the AFC Championship Game, will be played in those types of conditions.

“It’s very telling when opponents come through here, they have a tough time,” Surtain said. “That would be huge for us as a team and carrying that momentum moving forward, for sure.”

The Broncos have swelled to two-touchdown favorites over the Chargers since the betting lines opened Sunday after L.A. head coach Jim Harbaugh announced Monday that Herbert and likely others will not play. The Chargers have clinched a playoff spot but are sure to finish somewhere between the No. 5 and No. 7 seed. They know they’re going on the road to play next weekend and have decided to prioritize the health of several key players.