Sean Payton is sick of hearing it. In the wake of the Denver Broncos' 0-2 start, the narrative was that rookie quarterback Bo Nix had gone into a shell — that his confidence was waning, and maybe, just maybe, the team had made a mistake in the draft.
Following Denver's 26-7 upset win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Payton clapped back at even the notion that Nix's confidence was in question. As for all the other doubts, we can safely assume the veteran head coach is just as dismissive.
“No, no, no, no, no. No, stop, stop. It’s fitting your narrative," Payton said from the podium. "The kid’s been confident. This kid’s been through Auburn. He’s transferred. He’s won, and won, and won, and won. And honestly, I haven’t seen him flinch."
Payton's response to the unfortunate reporter who asked the question was the equivalent of a body slam on national television. I guess one must posture one's questions a bit more carefully in Payton's presence.
As for Nix, it's a lot easier for Payton to stick his chest out and thump it in the immediate aftermath of a romping upset win on the road. The Broncos head coach tried to dial back the tone of his reply in conclusion.
"We all get a little bit more confident with the win, but I say that respectfully," Payton said. "He hasn’t flinched. I think that we had a good plan. The players did a good job and certainly [Nix] had more fun than he did in prior weeks.”
For his part, Nix admitted post-game that he and his teammates were motivated to show something in Tampa. Starting off the season 0-2 is bad enough, but the manner in which the Broncos began the campaign is what created the doubt and skepticism surrounding Nix.
If anything felt different on Sunday, it was the rookie's body language and execution. Nix looked vastly more comfortable and confident (sorry, Coach), and it showed in how the Broncos marched up and down the field to get an early two-score lead.
“Well, I thought everything was having success and we were moving the ball, keeping the chains moving," Nix said post-game. "We had some third downs—we were efficient with them, and we got first downs. Now, that’s the difference with these games—if you can convert on third downs, you stay on the field for longer and you eventually score some points.”
Payton described his responsibility as head coach and the team's offensive play-caller as that of a painter. If he and his coaches can bring the picture into focus for the players, than a smart quarterback like Nix can catch the vision, so to speak.
“I say this, and I mean this, and it’s so important, and I include myself and the offensive coaching staff—it’s our job to paint a perfect picture for this player," Payton said. "And if we do that, and we used to say that about whoever is under [center] – our job as coaches, as receivers… we have to paint the picture, and when we do that, this guy is going to be something.”
Nix is still yet to pass for his first NFL touchdown, but Sunday saw him scamper for his second rushing score as a pro, so perhaps we should stop short of calling Payton a football Picasso. Tampa may not have been a masterpiece, but it was certainly an encouraging step forward for Payton, Nix, and the Broncos, who turned in an impressively complementary performance.
“Well, we put together a great game plan this week," Nix said. "We were very balanced. We came out early and threw the ball. Then, later in the game, we had to run the ball when everybody in the stadium knows we are running the ball, and we were able to get first downs that way. So, it was a complete offensive game, I thought."
As a team captain, the locker room looks to Nix for direction, his relative inexperience notwithstanding. So far, he's been quick to take the blame for the offense and his teammates, and credit his guys whenever possible. Sunday was no exception.
"We ran the ball well and it got us in manageable third downs, and we were efficient when we threw the ball," Nix said. "Our guys made plays. They did a great job with yards after catch, and I think, moving forward, that’s what we continue to want to do. We want to stay balanced and be a good attack.”
Nix and company are going to enjoy this win. The Broncos will stay on the East Coast to prepare for Week 4's road tilt vs. the New York Jets. Last year, Payton's squad withered in its opportunity to exact revenge from former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, but even with Aaron Rodgers under center for the Jets, perhaps it'll be different this time around.
