Sean Payton made it plain after Denver’s 30-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals: the Broncos never wavered on Bo Nix.
The Broncos head coach kept his postgame news conference short on Sunday afternoon, but his message on his quarterback came through loud and clear. Payton said the noise outside the building had not changed the way Denver viewed Nix, who answered with one of his best showings of the season.
“Listen, I think for our team, offensively, all those of those things. Yeah, I mean, the confidence inside of the building relative to his ability hadn’t changed at all,” Payton said.
Nix responded with a big dual-threat performance. He went 15 of 29 for 222 yards with one passing touchdown and no turnovers, then added seven carries for 73 yards and a score on the ground. His rushing touchdown covered 62 yards, and he also connected with RJ Harvey on a 52-yard touchdown pass.
Payton also made sure to emphasize that the faith in his quarterback never left.
“I appreciate some guys, sometimes you’re answering questions about whether or not… and there’s not one time where we were… he’s our guy. And it was good to see him play well and it was good to see us block well and make some plays down the field,” Payton said.
Those comments put an exclamation point on a game Denver needed from its offense. Nix had faced plenty of criticism in recent weeks, but Sunday’s outing gave the Broncos a lift and gave Payton a chance to double down on where the team stands with its young quarterback.
Denver now turns to a major showdown with the Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. At 5-2, the Broncos could move into first place in the AFC West with a win - if Kansas City loses to Seattle later Sunday night.
For one afternoon, though, the story was simple: Nix delivered, the Broncos’ offense made plays, and Payton wanted everyone to know the team’s belief in its quarterback never changed.
In Other News...
Broncos Head Into Chiefs Rematch With One Big Reason For Confidence
A 30-16 win over Arizona gave Denver a needed boost and nudged the Broncos to 5-2, but it also offered a reminder that this team can find different ways to win when the game calls for it. Bo Nix helped set the tone with his legs, and rookie running back Jonah Coleman made a noticeable return from injury, giving the offense a little more balance as Denver heads toward a Chiefs rematch with momentum.
The bigger part of the week, though, may be how the Broncos handled the game without Patrick Surtain II on the field at all. Denver was forced to adjust on the fly after he was downgraded shortly before kickoff, and the defense still managed to get through a solid test against Arizona. How that holds up against Kansas City is the next question, especially with another divisional heavyweight waiting and the Broncos trying to prove this early run is built to last. [Read more 🡒]
Jonah Coleman Just Reopened A Broncos Backfield Debate
Jonah Colemans return gave the Broncos a fresher look in the backfield in Week 7, and it came at a time when Denver needed one. After missing several games with an ankle injury, Coleman was back in the mix against the Arizona Cardinals and quickly made his presence felt in a win that pushed the Broncos to 5-2. His workload stood out right away, especially in a rotation that had been searching for a clearer answer on the ground.
Coleman led Denvers running backs with nine carries for 54 yards and added two catches for 15 yards, a solid showing that gives the team something to think about going forward. It was the kind of return that can change how a coaching staff views its weekly distribution, and for a Broncos offense still sorting out its identity on the ground, his timing could not have been much better. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Payton Just Sent A Clear Message About Bo Nix
The Broncos left Week 7 with another win over the Arizona Cardinals, and the bigger takeaway may have come from Sean Payton after the game. Denver is 5-2 now and riding a three-game winning streak, but the head coach made it clear the way he views Bo Nix has not changed as the rookie continues to settle into the job.
Paytons confidence matters because the Broncos are entering a stretch that can shape the rest of their first half. With two games left before their Week 10 bye, including a home meeting with the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver has a chance to keep stacking wins while its quarterback continues to grow under the same steady message from the coach: the organization still believes in him. [Read more 🡒]