Broncos’ Sean Payton Offers Telling Response About Approach With Bo Nix

Getty Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos.

The Denver Broncos are 4-3. They have done so with the aid of rookie first-round pick Bo Nix at quarterback. Nix’s abilities as a runner have emerged in recent weeks. He has even Broncos caught head coach Sean Payton by surprise.

Nix is the NFL’s leader among quarterbacks over the last two weeks with 136 rushing yards at an 8.6-yards-per-carry clip. However, Nix has also been criticized due to inconsistent footwork.

Asked about that, Payton defended his QB and his approach with the rookie.

“I think you got to be careful you’re not overcoaching it. There are some things he does very well out of the pocket or climbing up in the pocket. And so I think we start with the focus on [the] timing of the route, the depth of the route, in the gun or under center. Is it a three, five or seven[-step dropback]? And we work on the rhythm of the play so that his feet marry up to the depth of the route,” Payton told reporters in a conference call on October 21.

“The times where he’s climbing the pocket or moving in the pocket, we’re pretty smart about how much we say or how much we try to fix.”

“To say Bo Nix and the Broncos have had a rough go of it over six weeks would be an understatement. Through six weeks the only QB with a worse Success Rate is Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson, and the only QBs with a worse individual adjusted EPA/dropback is Watson, Jacoby Brissett and Will Levis. Yeah, not great company,” SB Nation’s Joseph Acosta wrote on October 15.

“I actually think Nix’s arm is good enough to operate this offense. It’s not anywhere near the top tier guys, but for a Sean Payton offense it’s good enough. The arm hasn’t been the problem—it’s been his head and feet that have caused the issue.”

Bo Nix’s Feet a Double-Edged Sword for Broncos

Payton’s comments highlight how real of an issue Nix’s footwork has been for the Broncos at times this season.

“For as much as Nix’s feet have been a timely asset for Denver’s offense, though, they have also at times stood in the way of his progress as a passer,” The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider wrote on October 22. “The coach pointed out that what looks like hurried or sloppy footwork can at times be the product of other issues within a play — the kind the Broncos are still trying to iron out.

“The big question for the Broncos is whether Nix secures his feet enough to take advantage.”

Nix has drawn praise from former NFL quarterbacks, including Robert Griffin III in the preseason, for his footwork being in order.

Coaches emphasize the difference between the regular season and the preseason for a reason.

Nix is the Broncos’ second-leading rusher through seven games. He has 255 yards and 3 touchdowns on 47 carries on the season. His 3.8% sack rate is the lowest among the nine QBs with at least 224 passing attempts on the season, per Stathead.

As long as he stays on the right side of those metrics and protects the football – he has 5 touchdown passes to 5 interceptions – Payton’s plan is unlikely to change this season.

Payton’s comments are also a potentially striking glimpse into his relationship with Nix.

Sean ‘Dennis the Menace’ Payton Using Kid Gloves With Bo ‘Ferris Bueller’ Bo Nix

The duo made waves in the Broncos’ Week 5 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Nix got animated with his head coach who questioned why the QB flipped a play in the red zone. Both coach and player brushed the moment aside, citing competitive fire.

The two even jokingly called each other fictional troublemakers from movies.

Their damage control underscored how little hostility that seemed apparent on the sidelines existed in reality.

“Yeah, I called him Ferris out here. And he called me Dennis because that was my nickname from [Hall of Fame coach Bill] Parcells,” Payton said during a press conference on October 9. “So, Dennis the Menace and Ferris Bueller. There we go.”

Payton also said Nix was “a little bit faster than maybe we anticipated” in the October 21 call.

With a young quarterback still trying to find his way at the NFL level, Payton’s approach – which is notably softer than what he has taken with veterans – appears most appropriate.