Sean Payton on Broncos WR Marvin Mims Jr: 'I'm Mad at Myself'

When it comes to Marvin Mims Jr.'s emergence as a unique offensive weapon... better late than never.

November 17, 2024, Denver, Colorado, USA: Broncos MARVIN MIMS JR. readies to stiff arm Falcons CB NATRONE BROOKS while returning a punt during the 1st. Half at Empower Field at Mile High Sunday afternoon. The Broncos beat the Falcons 38-6. Denver USA / xHectorxAcevedox/IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

The Denver Broncos offense has been leaps and bounds better over the past quarter of the season. In case you missed it.

The rise of Bo Nix is garnering the headlines, and for good reason, as the three-week-in-a-row Rookie of the Week. His play explains, in large part, the Broncos' offensive improvements, but it's not the whole story.

One of the new dishes on Sean Payton's "menu" has been second-year Marvin Mims Jr. Ironically, Mims' unique impact in recent weeks hasn't come as a wideout, but as a running back. Payton has used Mims in the backfield with great success to keep defenses guessing and give the Broncos a giant boost of dynamism.

“I think as a coach, I’m mad at myself that we didn’t begin looking at this earlier," Payton said of Mims' new usage. "He does such a good job running when you watch him return punts that that vision can carry over to certain runs in your offense and then certain things in the passing game."

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Last week, Mims had three receptions for 44 yards, with a long of 37. He has revealed that he can see confusion in the defense's eyes.

"It’s a lot of fun, just giving the defense different looks. You can tell sometimes they don’t know what to do when I’m back there in a running back position," Mims said in November.

Opponents don't know what to make of Mims lining up in the backfield, and the Broncos have exploited that discombobulation. We learned this week that a big part of the subterfuge is the personnel grouping when Mims is back there.

“I think the challenge sometimes [is] we have to know: What do we expect to get when we put him in there? It’s not him being in there. [It’s] who he’s in there with," Payton said. "If he’s in there with three other receivers and a tight end, you might say it’s ‘01’ [because] there’s no running backs in there. If he’s in there with a fullback... So we do give a lot of thought to what we think we’ll get defensibly based on the other people that are in there with him.”

That expansion has paid some dividends for the Broncos. Mims went from being an afterthought to one of Payton's offensive focal points.

"That third down-and-8 where he kind of leaked out of the backfield, they dropped the coverage, it was hard for them to find... It’s hard to figure out what direction he’s going," Payton said of Mims. "It’s allowed us to expand some packages with him.”

Drafted in the second round in 2023, Mims went on to earn second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors as a rookie kick and punt returner. The speed, vision, explosiveness — it's all there. And yet, up until recently, Mims had not factored into the offense, even as a receiver.

This is why Payton is kicking himself for not having the Mims epiphany sooner. But you know what they say: better late than never.

Now, why Mims has struggled to find a path to production as a receiver on the outside is unclear. It could have something to do with the personnel and Payton's preference for big-bodied receivers, even in the slot.

Mims has totaled 16 receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown this season, with 36 rushing yards. He's moved the chains on eight of his touches. Obviously, on it's own, these numbers are far from eye-opening, but when you factor in that the majority of this production has come over the past three weeks, it takes on a new light.

The Broncos are onto something. Payton's had his lightbulb moment, and it came just in time for the Broncos' stretch run.

Next up, the Broncos will host the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football. We'll see what other Mims tricks Payton has up his sleeve.

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