Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix on Sean Payton’s Return to New Orleans: ‘Just Another Game’

The competitive fire that burns inside Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix shocked many. We’ve seen this come to light on multiple occasions, including when it was directed at his coach on the sideline in Week 5.

It’s a side of Nix’s personality that Broncos coach Sean Payton likes and wants to utilize more as he heads into a crucial game Thursday night against his old team, the Saints of New Orleans.

This is the first time Nix will have to start a game in a week-long turnaround. It has its own unique challenges.

“We’ve talked; this is the first time he’s played in a short week,” Payton said of Nix. “A lot of these guys didn’t play on Thursday night, but that’s the schedule. They themselves have played unique schedules when it comes to bowling games and whatnot.

Following the long-term plan to develop Nix means not blinking in the face of the adversity and criticism that has been coming at the Broncos lately. Nix and his sheer competitiveness, which Payton referenced, will be crucial if the Broncos are to weather all the ups and downs that inevitably come with the territory.

“Yes, I think you need it because, number 1, you will get quick results and you will play on Thursdays. You better prepare or you will be left behind,” Nix said. “You go out there and you won’t be prepared and you’ll have a bad game. We don’t want that. Everyone at this level is good. They’re all good at what they do, they’re great players, they’re smart and (and) they know the game. It’s tough. You have to level up, you have to find something, a competitive advantage over other people.”

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There were advanced levels of negativity that prevailed after the Broncos lost a big division game to Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers. The Broncos looked pretty flat for much of their Week 6 loss.

As far as Payton is concerned, Nix’s transition from college to pro is a weekly process, often accompanied by some essential humor at times. The sluggish Broncos created a mountain to climb after falling behind early, but when Nix lit a fire in the fourth quarter last week, things got going.

Nix knows that consecutive weeks of slow offensive starts won’t be enough, so starting faster was on the Broncos’ minds during the short week.

“I’ve done that for six games, and these coaches have done a lot more,” Nix said Wednesday. “I don’t really know (that much) when it comes down to it. Let’s just continue to execute, find ways to execute what we’re called to do and start fast.”

The Broncos locker room knows how exciting it will be for Payton to return to the Caesars Superdome, the place where he brought so much success and happiness to Saints fans. Nix is ​​experienced enough to know that exciting distractions can be costly when challenges arise as quickly as they do in the NFL.

“We understood that, but he didn’t really make a big deal out of it. It’s just another game for us. I know he spent a lot of energy and effort on that organization, so I know it means a lot to him,” Nix said. “We just want to treat it like another game. Attack him and compete as if it were another game.”

Broncos-Saints kicks off at 6:15 a.m. MDT on Amazon Prime Video.

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