Sean Payton seems extremely confident in his rookie QB, Bo Nix, after he and the offense blew out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3. The passing game was on time and efficient. The running game got going with Tyler Badie, and the defense was suffocating. This was a clinic that the Denver Broncos put on in Week 3.
Sean Payton entered this game having an 8-0 record when going up against Todd Bowles. Well, that's a 9-0 record now after the team's huge win. Denver now moves to 1-2 on the season and it wasn't a fluke. This wasn't some sloppy win that Denver had to scratch and claw their way to.
This was perhaps the most dominant win of the week thus far. Well, in the postgame presser, Payton was short, sweet, and forceful in his words about Bo Nix:
Broncos coach Sean Payton on Bo Nix said “This guy is going to be something”
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) September 22, 2024
Folks, these a huge words from Payton, who has been coaching at the NFL level since the 1997 season. Payton wakes up and forgets more football than we would ever dream of knowing, and with his nearly 30 years of experience in this league, when he speaks on something, it tends to be accurate.
And well, how much more forceful and confident could he be in Bo Nix? Sure, it's just one win, and the Broncos do have 14 games left, but what we've seen from Nix has been great. He played like a rookie making his first NFL start in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. It got a bit better in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers; Nix was taking more shots downfield and hit some longer passing plays.
Just because the team lose, does not mean Nix and the offense didn't show growth. But in Week 3, the offense and Nix showed their best of the season thus far. Seeing this gradual improvement bodes very well for this team as they get further into the 2024 NFL Season. The Broncos may continue to struggle here and there, as Nix is a rookie and the offense does still lack talent overall, but Week 3 could set the stage big-time.
This was a joyous time if you're a Broncos fan. This one win could be something that the team and fanbase looks back on as something special beginning. The Broncos do play the New York Jets in Week 4, so that matchup figures to be tough, but it's time to enjoy this one.