If you keep score, Sean Payton wants to win.
And for the first time in eight preseason games, the Denver Broncos lost. As Payton said after the game, it clearly wasn’t good enough against the Green Bay Packers on Friday night. For what it’s worth, each Denver Super Bowl win had a loss in the preseason, so there’s that.
If Payton and the rest of Broncos Country are looking for a “win” from Friday, it’s how Bo Nix looked and played. In his first game back after breaking his ankle against the Buffalo
Bills in the AFC Divisional Playoff game, the Broncos quarterback was fantastic. In particular, the throws to Jaylen Waddle and RJ Harvey were absolute dimes.
If the first game action is any indication, Denver’s offense is going to be fun and hard to stop. And Nix didn’t seem to miss a beat.
“Honestly, yes. It was just very smooth, very easy to get back out there and go,” Nix said to the media after the game. “Honestly, the other 10 guys in the huddle made it pretty easy for me as well. Just going out there, and doing my job, and treating it like a practice rep.
“The most difficult part was not preparing a whole lot for a preseason game because of the time constraints. You only get a day or so, so that was the toughest part, getting my eyes in the right spot. That was the mental challenge. I thought physically, it was pretty easy.”
It helps to have a receiver like Waddle in the mix. The route, throw, and yards after catch on that first drive offer a glimpse at how dangerous Waddle is going to be in the offense.
“That was probably my strongest emotion after hitting him,” Nix said to the media, laughing. “You can’t really explain the type of player he is. You just have to get out there and play, and when you throw him the ball, you understand that it’s a little bit different.
“He’s just a really great football player. He adds a lot to our team, not only on the field, but like we just mentioned it, joking on the sideline, just him being on the sideline, his personality just gets everybody going. He’s very exciting. He has a great positive attitude. He’s going to be great for us.”
Added Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz:
“Oh, it was awesome. It was awesome to see (No.) 17 (Waddle) out there. Then he got all hyped and, you know, a line run down the field to get hyped with him. He kept running a little bit, so I kind of stopped. It was good to have him out there.”
And it will only get better the more Nix and Waddle play and build their chemistry.
“Yes, it’s coming along,” Waddle said to the media. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. Yes, but it was a good time. It’s good to get back out there with all the guys.”
The other aspect that stands out from Friday is the rhythm Denver’s offense was in at the start of the game. For the second week in a row, the No. 1 turned the opening possession into a touchdown. That’s a credit to new play caller Davis Webb and the work the Broncos offense has put in this offseason.
The whole point of the preseason is to build good habits, and if Denver’s offense is consistent in taking opening possessions and turning them into touchdowns, that’s massive for success.
“I think we’re continuing to find that rhythm,” Meinerz said to the media. “That’s been the emphasis of this camp. That’s why we’re having call-it periods so that we can, as an offense, be in situations during practice that will come up in games that we’re all comfortable and ready for what we’re going to call in.”
But the biggest win from Friday’s game against the Packers is how Nix looked and played.
“Oh yeah, man, it’s a morale booster,” Broncos edge rusher Que Robinson said to the media. “You know, he had an injury, and everybody just wants to see him. Everybody wants to see him well, obviously. So seeing him bounce back from that and be able to be the same Bo that we all know and love is a tremendous thing. Like I said, it’s a moral booster for sure.”
Added backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham:
“Anytime you can see (No.) 10 out there doing his thing, it’s fun to watch, and he’s obviously put in a ton of hard work this offseason with not only himself but also the guys and just kind of seeing that come to fruition. There for a couple of drives. It was good to see him back up.”
