Over the course of his introductory news conference as the Broncos new head coach, Sean Payton told stories about his days in New Orleans, about a car trip through Denver gone awry decades ago and about what it takes, in his mind, to build a championship team.

Flanked by general manager George Paton and CEO Greg Penner, he expressed confidence in the top level of Denver’s franchise but also said change is coming for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs the past seven years.

He likened driving home every Sunday night after his work as a FOX analyst as akin to being able to see the lights of the racetrack and smell the fuel without actually having his own race car.

“There’s nothing that replaces that feeling of winning,” he said. “There’s just not.”

Here are other observations from an hour with Payton, Paton and Penner at the UC Health Training Center.

Payton has a clear idea of what he wants and expects

Penner lauded Payton’s experience in the NFL — he jumps back into coaching sixth among active head coaches with 152 regular season wins — and Payton is a dramatic departure from the three consecutive first-time head coaches hired to Denver in the past seven years.

He talked extensively about details and organization and overall has a clear picture in his mind for what he wants from his team.

“You have to be authentic. I can’t try to be Bill (Parcells) or someone else,” Payton said. “I have to be who I think I am. I can laugh at myself, I can be wrong, I can be humble, I can be confident, but I know what it looks like and I know what it doesn’t look like. Sometimes we’re not asking. Sometimes it’s not negotiable and then sometimes we are (asking).”

The trade with New Orleans slowed Denver’s process

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