Sean Payton didn’t sound eager to make Bo Nix’s legs a bigger part of Denver’s offense heading into Week 7.
Asked Friday whether he wants to see his quarterback run more, Payton pointed instead to how defenses are playing the Broncos. “A lot of that happens with back-to-the-quarterback defense.
It’s a little bit different when eyes are to the quarterback. So when you get the man combinations or the match stuff… It’s not on my Top-10 list of things that we’re working on.”
Payton also made it clear he expects more work for RB Jonah Coleman. “I think it’s something he’s earned. He’s done a good job of that.”
In Los Angeles, the focus was on rookie DE Akheem Mesidor, who has drawn strong praise from two of the Chargers’ defensive veterans in the middle of his first pro season. Safety Derwin James said, “[Mesidor’s] a beast, bro.
He’s going to be one of the top edges in this league. I can’t wait,” James said, via ESPN.
“I keep seeing him ascend. Very smart, don’t say too many words.
Just shows up to work, and I feel like he’s a great reason why the defense is one of the top ones for sure.”
EDGE Khalil Mack echoed that sentiment and pointed to the traits that have stood out to him most. “The different intangibles you need on the edge.
Speed. Obviously, the explosiveness.
His ability to get off blocks and make tackles. I feel like his tackling was underrated,” Mack added on Mesidor.
“He’s a great tackler and yeah, his ability to get to the ball. His hustle up on the back side of plays, he’s chasing stuff down on screens.
Yeah, it’s just impressive.”
In Other News...
Vance Joseph Is Forcing A Big Broncos Question Again
Vance Joseph has done enough in his second act in Denver to make people around the league look at him differently than they did a few years ago. After a rough two-year run as the Broncos head coach ended with an 11-21 record, he rebuilt his stock as Arizonas defensive coordinator and then came back under Sean Payton, where Denvers defense has been among the NFLs most reliable units in the past two seasons.
The Broncos have finished near the top of the league in points allowed again, with Josephs group also standing out in rushing defense and total yards allowed. That kind of production inevitably brings back the old question: whether Joseph is once again positioning himself for another shot at running a team, especially after he drew interest around the coaching carousel last offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Helped Expose A Worrying Broncos Offensive Trend
The Broncos are still winning after Sean Payton took back play-calling duties in Week 5, but the change has not been as clean as the record suggests. Denver has gone 3-0 since the switch, yet there is a nagging offensive wrinkle underneath the wins, especially in the part of the field where drives are supposed to stay alive and good teams usually separate themselves.
The concern is showing up on third down, where Denver has looked far less efficient with Payton handling the calls than it did earlier in the season under Davis Webb. Even more troubling for the Broncos is the context around that slide, because the recent stretch has come against opponents that were supposed to be more manageable than the defenses Webb faced. The results are piling up in the standings, but the trend underneath them is hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Suddenly Have A Jaylen Waddle Problem Before Chiefs Rematch
A tricky offensive wrinkle turned into an even bigger concern for Denver in Week 7, when Jaylen Waddle aggravated a previous chest injury on a reverse against the Arizona Cardinals. The play itself drew attention after coach Sean Payton acknowledged it was poorly designed, and now the Broncos are left sorting through the fallout from a sequence that went wrong at exactly the wrong time.
What makes it especially frustrating is the timing, with Kansas City next on the schedule and a status decision still hanging over Waddle for Sunday. Denver was already bracing for a tight divisional matchup, and now the offense has to account for one of its key pieces being in limbo until later in the week. [Read more 🡒]