Broncos HC Sean Payton on Whether he Questions Bo Nix's Confidence: 'Heck No'

The Denver Broncos head coach is sick of being asked about Bo Nix's confidence.

Sep 29, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos are riding high after their successful two-week road trip on the East Coast, punctuating their 'stay-cation' with a 10-9 win over the New York Jets. Although Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix struggled in a torrential downpouring of rain the first half, he improved as the weather did, leading the offense on an 87-yard touchdown drive that culminated in the first passing score of his NFL career.

Nix found Broncos wideout Courtland Sutton in the back of the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown, and afterward, the two celebrated with teammates. Sutton made sure to hand the ball to Nix.

Sutton would finish with three receptions for 60 yards and that touchdown. Meanwhile, Nix finished with a Tebow-esque total of 60 passing yards and a QB rating of 67.9, completing passes to seven different receivers at a clip below 50%.

So, wait... Sutton had 60 yards receiving and although six other Broncos receivers caught a Nix pass, the rookie only finished with 60 yards passing? How is that possible?

Your eyes do not deceive you. It was the unhappy outlier of all six other receivers combining for zero yards on nine completions. The Jets defense was absolutely stingy and in the inclement weather, Nix and head coach Sean Payton were happy to pass the ball laterally in hopes of a guy breaking a tackle and getting free. That didn't happen.

On whether Nix's abysmal passing in the first half led to Payton having any misgivings about his rookie quarterback's confidence and wherewithal, the Broncos head coach was not only dismissive of the notion — he was derisive. Suffice it to say that Payton is tired of being asked about Nix's confidence.

"Heck no. At some point, we'll stop with the confidence," Payton said on Sunday from the podium. "This kid is confident. Now, I should send him out to dinner with every one of you and you'll see. He played well."

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

While many across the national media, and no small number of Broncos fans, will snort Payton saying that Nix "played well," it was a weird outlier of a day. For consideration and comparison's sake, Aaron Rodgers had an ugly day at the office, too.

The weather consequences cut both ways, especially early on. Rodgers finished with 225 passing yards, but the vast majority of it came in the second half when the rain finally started easing up.

Rodgers is 40 years old and has been starting NFL games since 2010. Yet, those weather conditions, combined with the Broncos' relentless, smothering defense, led to a stinker of a performance. Rodgers was held to zero passing scores, was sacked five times, and brutalized by the Broncos' pass rush incessantly.

Nix also faced an unrelenting barrage in the form of New York's top-level defense. So, as we can see, the weather and respective defensive units both quarterbacks faced leveled the playing field, so to speak.

Rodgers got the yardage. But Nix got the touchdown. And that proved to be the ultimate difference-maker in the game. You choose which is more crucial: Rodgers' passing yards or Nix's victory.

On Monday, Payton broke down the Broncos' lone touchdown at MetLife Stadium.

“They’ve thrown that type of play 40 times, let’s say, between minicamp and OTAs," Payton said. "Courtland provides that size and sure hands. You have to get the right coverage look. There are a handful of ways we run it. Like anything else, if you repeat something and you get more and more comfortable with it, then it becomes a play you like, and it becomes one of your favorites."

Payton also dished on the burgeoning chemistry being developed between the rookie quarterback and the Broncos' No. 1 receiver. All of those practice reps, multiplied by in-game time on task, ends up equaling production at some point in the equation.

"You get to it in a critical situation," Payton said. "That was a big drive, obviously. That was an important drive for us to kind of take it from our end and convert there and go on to score a touchdown. I think that confidence level will continue to grow, and it’s important that it grows with other route combinations.”

The Broncos returned home at 2-2 with a growing confidence with Raider Week next on deck.

---

Follow Mile High Huddle on X and Facebook and subscribe on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!