It was about quarterback Bo Nix. It went like this. They knew that Nix was a good athlete. They saw it when Nix was at Oregon. But they didn’t realize how explosive he was until Nix started actually practicing and playing in the NFL.
‘One thing about the QB that came even as a little surprise for us,’ Payton told USA TODAY Sports, ‘was seeing some of these off-schedule throws from him, and it kind of stunned us at how good he was at that. It’s because he’s so fast. I don’t think people get how athletic and how fast he is.’
Off-schedule or off-platform throws are when the quarterback makes a pass while not in a balanced or standard throwing position. Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes excels at these. Nix is getting really good at them. In fact, he’s getting good at it all. He’s a big reason why the Broncos’ Super Bowl window is officially open now. You read that correctly.
Payton is asked for a bottom-line evaluation of Nix. ‘I’m seeing a player who I think will continue to make big strides,’ said Payton.
Nix last season was off to a good start. He set Broncos rookie records for passing touchdowns (29), completions (376) and passing yards (3,775). He was also the first rookie quarterback in league history to record multiple games with at least 300 passing yards, four passing scores and a passer rating of at least 140.
What Payton has found in Nix is most likely another quarterback star. Payton has had this before. (More on that in a moment.) This season we could see this duo become the most dangerous coach-quarterback combo in football. It’s also why that Super Bowl window is opening now.
Notice, I didn’t say the best coach-quarterback combo (though that could happen as well). I said the most dangerous.
If anyone can unseat the current best combo right now in Andy Reid and Mahomes, with three straight Super Bowl appearances, it would be this one. Yes, the combo of Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts just beat Kansas City in the Super Bowl, but Reid-Mahomes is still the gold standard.
Payton and Nix, however, just entered the chat. The Broncos were a stunning 10-7 last year in part because Nix shocked everyone. But there’s a reason he did. This is what Payton does. Give him a good quarterback, he makes him really good. Give him a great quarterback, he helps make him a certain Hall of Famer. See: Brees, Drew.
Brees finished his career as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and completions when he retired in 2021. Tom Brady would later pass him. (Brady would later pass errybody.) Brees made 13 Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl, where he was also named Super Bowl MVP.
Brees once remembered how this historic pairing began.
‘It goes back to when he first sat me down before I ever signed with the Saints, and he started drawing up plays on the board that was a combination of his West Coast offensive background and philosophy, and the things that I did well with the San Diego Chargers,’ Brees said. ‘I remember looking at him saying, ‘Oh, you guys run these concepts as well?’ And he said, ‘No, but I know that you ran these and you ran them very well, and we’re going to build this offense around you and your strengths.’
‘Right away, I realized that that was such a unique approach and maybe so much different than what I expected, especially from a first-time head coach, coming into a really tough situation with high expectations.’
That is classic Payton.
I’ll always believe that Payton is the best play caller in the history of the sport. One of the best play designers. One of the best at getting his players to understand his concepts, and adapting his concepts to the player. I know this because I’ve seen it up and close and personal. Watched him do it. Brees will skip into the Hall of Fame and some day Payton will follow him.
Now, I’m seeing the same thing in Denver. It goes beyond the obvious that Nix and Brees are similar specimens. It’s Payton again morphing the offense around what Nix does best. Payton is also criminally underrated in building a good culture. He’s creating Saints West. Not the Saints you see now. Or the almost comically bad Saints teams from the 1970s. It’s the one that was once solid and even feared.
Payton is helping his own cause by putting pieces all around Nix. The Broncos had a successful offseason signing key free agents in safety Talanoa Hufanga, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, and tight end Evan Engram. The latter will be that ‘joker’ weapon for the Broncos who maneuvers around the formation creating mismatches.
“That is a cool thing to just embrace,” Engram said. “Sean talks about it a lot. It was a big part of the pitch coming here. … I definitely see that it is something that has to be earned with the way I work and the way that I learn the offense to gain the trust of Sean, Bo, and the rest of the coaches and players. I think we have a bunch of ‘Jokers’ on this team, honestly, that can have a great role on this offense. It is definitely something that I like to embrace, but it is also something that I am going to earn, too.”
And there’s a piece of data you should know. The Broncos had 134 games missed due to injuries in 2022. That number fell to 35 in 2023 and 33 last season. It shows Payton is figuring out more than just the QB situation.
So, this is just your warning. Will the Broncos win the Super Bowl this year? Maybe not. Or, heck, maybe so.
What’s certain is the Super Bowl window for this team is officially open. Thanks primarily to Payton and Nix.