Initial thoughts from the Broncos’ 33-10 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 7 at Caesars Superdome:
1. Bo was bad, and it didn’t matter: It wasn’t a bad opening drive for Bo Nix. It was a brutal one. The Broncos’ rookie QB threw one ball that landed at his receiver’s feet. Another managed to somehow land between tight end Lucas Krull and wideout Troy Franklin while both players were as wide open as conceivably possible. The Broncos settled for a 3-0 lead, but here’s the upside: Nobody pushed the panic button. Coach Sean Payton dialed it back, turning the game over to his offensive line, a cadre of tailbacks who combined for 152 yards on 19 carries, and a defense that’s looking like the best collective in the AFC West right now. Nix’s propensity for getting happy feet in non-happy-feet situations and throwing off a bad base is troubling — but coachable. And No. 10 was able to rebound and reset well enough to throw for 164 yards before the 2-minute warning. Good sign. One of many.
2. Payton plays it smart: Sean Payton was coming back home — back to the building he helped make one of the nastiest in the NFL, back to the franchise he helped put on the national map. It would’ve been easy for him to want to show off his scheme and chuck it all over the Superdome, especially on an evening that saw his old QB, Drew Brees, inducted into the Saints’ Hall of Fame. Instead, he played to his new team’s strengths. Then hammered his old team on the head with them, time and again. The Broncos are at their best when they’re pounding the rock on the ground to try and grind out a lead; converting “gimme” field goals when things stall; and letting Vance Joseph’s defense lead the way. That’s how you win on the road in the NFL. Come to think of it, that’s how you turn around a franchise.
3. No PS2? No prob!: The Sack Attack is back! Yeah, starting a rookie at QB1 against a supernova-hot Broncos defense is asking for a long night. And Spencer Rattler sure as heck got one. But consider this: Without the services of cornerback Pat Surtain II, sidelined because of the NFL’s concussion protocol, coordinator Vance Joseph’s crew through the game’s first 50 minutes had allowed the host Saints just 195 total yards of offense on 45 plays and just 133 yards passing, all while racking up four sacks. The Saints came in beat up and lost more talent as the evening wore on. But the Broncos put the hammer down without their best player, and the best cover corner rocking the NFL right now. It’s more than PS2, kids. It’s the scheme. It’s the power of VJ.
4. Unsung heroes galore: Can we start a petition to get left guard Ben Powers AND right guard Quinn Meinerz to the Pro Bowl as a package deal? The former basically eliminated Saints star Chase Young in this one. The 2020 No. 2 overall pick hadn’t recorded a tackle through three quarters. Meanwhile, the Broncos went into the final stanza with 206 yards and two rushing scores on 28 carries. And speaking of unsung studs, linebacker Cody Barton led all Broncos defenders with seven stops, along with a critical early sack, through the first three quarters of the evening. The combo of Troy Franklin (50 yards receiving) and Lucas Krull (41 yards receiving ) almost combined for 100 yards through three-and-a-half quarters, for pity’s sake. That’s when you know it’s gonna be your night.