Sean Payton has long been known as an offensive and quarterback guru, but that doesn’t mean he won’t adjust his methods when necessary.
For years, Payton would give his quarterbacks — from Drew Brees to Russell Wilson and now Bo Nix — elaborate playcalls. However, this season, the Denver Broncos head coach has shrunk the calls a bit in order to help Denver’s offense play at a faster tempo.
That was welcome news to Nix.
“It’s been awesome,” Nix told FOX Sports’ Allison Williams of Payton’s playcall change. “I think that’s one of the better parts of our offense. We use it to our advantage. It slows the game down just a little bit. I love being in a rush. It lets our players be players, then ultimately do my job and get the ball where it needs to go.”
The Broncos have seen good results from Payton’s switch. Entering Sunday’s Week 9 matchup against the Houston Texans, the Broncos are ninth in total yards and 10th in scoring.
Nix has also proven that his play from his rookie season might not be a fluke, either. He’s thrown for 1,803 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions to go with a 91 passer rating, 171 rushing yards and three rushing scores.
Still, Nix is grateful for the elaborate playcalls Payton gave him during his rookie season and at times this year, as they have helped him become a better quarterback.
“It’s not terrible because I’ve been doing them all week,” Nix said. “But those first few times at practice, if you’ve heard them just once or twice in an install, that’s where it can trick you. Seven buster solid, naked left, Y quarters, Z slide Q. He does a good job repeating it over and over so I can say it along with him in my ear.”
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