Broncos

Broncos HC Sean Payton said QB Peyton Manning stays in touch and consistently texts him about QB Bo Nix and the offense.

“Listen, he’s not too long with those (voice memos),” Payton joked, via Broncos Wire. “I do get all his Omaha Production, like it could be anything, and it’ll come. And one of the challenges in-season is when — in-season, you get each week, and obviously a ton of fans, you get a ton of well-wishes, congrats, or ‘Hang in there’ if you had a tough game. And I remember asking (former Broncos coach) John Fox, ‘How do you deal with these texts?’ And he said, ‘I just delete them all!’ So I never delete Peyton’s. I’ve always responded.”

Nix added that he’s leaned on Manning for advice regarding certain play calls and defensive formations.

“I’ve referred to him on, ‘What do you do in this situation? What do you do in that situation? What helped you in a situation like this?’” Nix said. “That’s where somebody like Peyton comes in. [It’s] really helpful, and for a guy like that to be available and to help is really cool. Usually for him, [the messages are], ‘Keep your head up. Keep going back to work.’ Or, ‘Great game. Y’all fought hard.’”

“It was good enough to win, but there’s still a number of things that we’ve got to improve on,” Payton said.

Chargers

Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh tried to explain why things are going the way they are for struggling QB Justin Herbert, who is usually one of the league’s better performers. Harbaugh and Herbert both face the reality that no NFL team has started 0-5 and made the playoffs.

“There are definitely times when he was trying to make a play, and too many times this season, there’s been that desperation time,” Harbaugh said, via The Athletic. “That’s what I’d attribute that to. Doing anything and everything he can…That fumble, he was trying to throw a ball away. He’s just hell-bent on winning. Like when he tried to avoid a safety, falling to the ground and somehow gets the ball off as an incomplete pass. He was trying to do the same thing in that situation. I’m not going to tell him anything different. He’s doing anything and everything that he can to help us win, and I applaud those that do that.”

Raiders

Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty was questionable going into Week 5 with foot and ankle issues but played in the loss to the Patriots. Las Vegas HC Klint Kubiak admitted Jeanty wasn’t close to 100 percent but praised the second-year back’s toughness. 

“Yes, Ashton is beat up,” Kubiak said via the Raiders Wire. “And it’s a testament to how tough he is that he’s out there playing today for his teammates.”

• Kubiak said DT Tonka Hemingway is in the concussion protocol. (Paul Gutierrez)
• Kubiak was clear that QB Kirk Cousins is the starter after Fernando Mendoza made his debut late in Week 5, but expressed confidence in Mendoza if they decide to call on him. (Levi Edwards)