Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos captured a primetime 28-3 win on Monday night at home against the Cincinnati Bengals. Sophomore quarterback Bo Nix was the star of the show with 326 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. This blowout win moved the Broncos back 2-2 through four games and just one game back of the Los Angeles Chargers for first in the AFC West division.
Payton and Nix have had some disagreements thus far in their short time together, but nobody can question the head coach’s belief in his young quarterback. Payton has never had anything bad to say about Nix in interviews with the press and vice versa.
In fact, Payton is often quick to praise the former No. 12 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, even when it puts himself in a negative light.
Monday night was no different when Payton answered the press postgame saying, “Bo kind of bailed me out … We don’t really want the play clock to be running so it’s out of bounds or end zone. It was a great call by him and a great throw and catch by Sutton.”
Bo Nix Shares His Thought Process
Later on, when it was Nix’s turn to take the press, a reporter mentioned his head coach’s praise and asked Nix to describe his thought process during the play.
“It was down to I think 13 seconds, and so you gotta really hurry … We decided to get a play into the end zone, and with the personnel we had out there, we just had to make it work. But it was impressive to see the guys make it work, and it wasn’t what I think [Payton] imagined or planned, but it worked out in our favor.”
Since Nix’s insertion into the starting lineup as a rookie, it seems the culture of the Broncos has benefited tremendously, and it’s easy to see based on the answers of he and his head coach. Neither took credit for the win or even a singular play, regardless of who actually made the call, and both were quick to compliment the team in a much-needed win.
What’s Next for Denver
While the Broncos would love to ride the high of their seven-game home win streak dating back to last season, which is the third-longest active streak in the NFL, they face the reigning Super Bowl champions and undefeated Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
The Eagles will be the outright favorites going into this Week 5 matchup; however, the anticipation for this game is driven by the Eagles’ offense vs. the Broncos’ defense. Philadelphia ranks fourth in the NFL in touchdowns per game with 3.3, while Denver ranks first in the NFL in opponent touchdowns per game with just 1.0.