The Broncos have a better situation at QB
This should not be controversial, but it somehow was when the Broncos decided to cut ties with QB Russell Wilson after just two seasons and 30 starts. The Broncos went 11-19 in Wilson's 30 starts, but the QB did end up playing better in 2023. However, that isn't saying much, as the team's offense was flat-out one-dimensional, as Wilson was not able to work the middle of the field.
He also is not a timing QB, as he is best when he scampers from the pocket. That isn't the offense that Sean Payton likes to run, and even with all of Payton's adjustments, it was not enough to get the veteran QB back to a competent spot.
It was the right move to cut ties with Wilson, and them drafting Bo Nix is to me, automatically a much better and more efficient fit at QB. How could it not be? Nix is precisely the type of quarterback that Sean Payton can work with, as he is best when he is playing in a timing-based offense.
So immediate success in 2024 for Nix should not surprise you.
Sean Payton is still the head coach
The improvement from the 2022 to the 2023 Denver Broncos was obvious, and it's clear that Sean Payton has not fallen off or lost his mojo as a head coach in the NFL. Yes, Denver finished the season with a losing record, but they finished the 2023 NFL Season at 7-4.
For nearly 65% of the 2023 NFL Season, the Broncos were a good football team. Teams don't go 7-4 just because of silly luck, so Payton's impact on the team was clearly felt, and it will stil be present in 2024. Payton is one of just a handful of other head coaches in the NFL who has won multiple playoff games and won a Super Bowl.
He's arguably a first-ballot Hall of Famer and will surely have this Broncos team ready to go every single week. Let's not discount just how crucial it is that Sean Payton is the Broncos head coach. It is massive.