When the Detroit Lions host the Denver Broncos Saturday night in prime time, the head coaching matchup between Dan Campbell and Sean Payton will be a round-up of two old Dallas Cowboys.

Dan Campbell's ten-year career as an NFL tight end between 1999 and 2009 frequently intersected with a young, ambitious coach named Sean Payton.

“I was in New York when we drafted Dan and was the offensive coordinator,” the Broncos head coach recalled to USA Today earlier this week. “When I ended up in Dallas, I was part of the reason we were able to sign Dan as a free agent to the Cowboys.”

“Eventually, I signed Dan to the Saints. He got injured, and that's where his career ended. Then eventually, I was able to sign him as an assistant coach,” added Payton. “He's a close friend, a fantastic coach and someone I've always enjoyed working with.”

Judging by this year's NFL standings and the Broncos' rocky start to the year, the student has become the teacher.

At 9-4 and despite dropping two of their last three games, Campbell and the Lions are sitting comfortably in the third seed in the NFC playoff race amid one of their most successful seasons in franchise history.

The team's resurgence can largely be attributed to Campbell's tenure as head coach, one that's been so successful he recently drew interest from Texas A&M.

The Lions appear poised to host a playoff game for the first time in 30 years.

The Broncos, meanwhile, hadn't had the renaissance they'd anticipated when they acquired Super Bowl-winning Payton and a 2024 third-round pick from the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick in January 2023.

The Broncos have rebounded from a dreadful 1-6 start, having since won six of their last seven to earn a place on the bubble of the AFC playoff picture.