TAMPA, Fla. — From the opening coin toss, Sean Payton couldn’t wait to get his rookie quarterback going with his new game plan.
The call by the Broncos was ‘heads’ and so it was.
Payton then made an unusual decision. Instead of deferring until the second half, he elected to receive. He wanted the ball right now.
“I typically like most coaches will defer,'' Payton said after his Broncos convincingly defeated the favored Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 26-7 here on a hot, steamy Sunday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium. "And then every once in a while you send a little message.’’
Taking the ball first can fire up the opposing defense -- it can take it as a sign of disrespect -- but Payton had an answer for that, too.
Downfield throws.
Bo Nix, their rookie quarterback, and a whole new offensive game plan by their head coach and offensive playcaller, Payton, lifted the Broncos to their first win in three games this season.
“This is a team that historically is hard to run the ball against,'' Payton explained about his aggressive start. "We’ve played here a number of times and coached in a number of games against Todd (Bowles), he does a great job."
"They provide some challenging pressure looks, there’s a safety or blitz every other plays so if you’re not careful you’ll wind up with some minus runs. So I felt like we wanted to be aggressive early and then run it later in the game. Those things happened.”
Nix was 25 of 36 passing for 216 yards. Most of his passing damage was done in the first half when he was 18 of 23 for 169 yards. He also rushed for 47 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown run and a 22-yard Houdini-like scramble in what was his best performance of this still way-young season.
Operating with the lead, the Broncos wore down Tampa Bay's injury-depleted defense with a running game featuring Tyler Badie (Ba-day, as it's now pronounced), who had 70 yards on 9 carries
Wil Lutz continued his perfect season by going 4 of 4 in field goals (43, 33, 38 and 43 yards) and 2 of 2 in (33-yard) extra points. And the Denver defense continued its strong play by forcing two turnovers on the Bucs' offense and registering seven sacks on Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield.
With opposing defenses cheating up to take away the Broncos' attempt to establish a running game and short, safe passes by Nix in the first two games, both losses, Payton showed immediate confidence in his rookie in game 3 by having him throw deeper passes. Right away.
An intermediate back-shoulder throw to Courtland Sutton gained 22 yards on the first play. Nix looked at rookie receiver Troy Franklin running a deep post pattern on the second play but pulled the ball back when the coverage was there. Instead, Nix took a checkdown to tight end Nate Adkins for 6 yards. Smart, poised decision.
On the third play, receiver Josh Reynolds broke open down the right side. Nix hit him for 31 yards moving the Broncos to the Tampa Bay 11. The Broncos’ offense shifted from first to fifth gear. Justlikethat.
"That was the plan all week,'' Reynolds said in a foggy locker room caused by immense condensation created by sweaty grown men, thick humidity and cool showers.
Only captains Lutz and linebacker Alex Singleton knew Payton wanted to receive the opening kickoff if the Broncos won the coin toss. Sutton is a captain who even though he was out there for the coin flip said he was caught offguard.
"I did not know that,'' Reynolds said about the decision to take the ball first. "But I knew what kind of time (Payton) was on when we passed the ball like that first. We knew we were going downfield. You seen how we came out firing that thing about four times that first drive. I think that right there created a statement for everybody. And for the defense as well. They knew we weren’t playing conservative. We’re going to attack.”
Nix was 4 of 4 passing for 70 yards on the opening drive. He then finished the drive with a 3-yard scramble to the right corner for a touchdown. It was 7-0 Broncos against the 6-point favored Bucs. Goodness.
“When you start the game with an explosive pass play, get Court involved early, you win a one-on-one, you flip the field in one play, it opens it up for a coordinator,'' said Nix, who has been around football and the quarterback position since the crib. "Coach Payton did a great job of going right back to it with Josh on the other side and then we get points, we get a touchdown on that first drive. That’s really important.”
It took until the first series of the third game but Nix's light switch was flipped. Then again, most other rookie quarterbacks stay in the dark until their second season or so.
“I knew what kind of character he has,'' Reynolds said. "Since OTAs, camp, you see the ''dawg'' in him. He had a couple setbacks but he was just trying to get in the groove. And he got in it today.”
The Denver defense, meanwhile, kept up its stellar play. It came through with a three-and-out on the Bucs’ first series. On the second series, Broncos’ safety Brandon Jones veered to the deep left zone and reached up to pick off a Mayfield pass. Jones then cut and slashed his way for 37 yards on his return, setting up first-and-goal at the 9.
Of the seven sacks on Mayfield, six came in the second half and two were recorded by newcomer Dondrea Tillman, who was called up to replace the injured Baron Browning at outside linebacker.
"They've got a very tough team, we knew that going in,'' said Bowles, who is 0-7 as a defensive coordinator and head coach in the regular season against Payton since 2019. And that's with Payton using four different starting quarterbacks. "We did not execute; they executed. Sean gets all the credit in the world. He outcoached me and their team outplayed our team."
It became fourth and goal at the 1 when Payton -- rolling with his aggressive mindset -- bypassed the field goal and went for it. A pitch to Jaleel McLaughlin looked like a 5-yard loss at first, but the shifty running back juked his way free and dove across the right pylon for the touchdown.
It was 14-0 Broncos with about 3 minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Third series for the Broncos, fourth and 1 at their 43. Up 14-0, it would have been understandable if Payton sent out his punt team. But this was the more aggressive play-calling Payton, the guy who 9 times in his 15 seasons with the New Orleans Saints had top 5 offenses. He went for the throat. Nix kept it with a run left for a first down.
Nix would throw downfield to Sutton, who again won his 1-on-1 for a 17-yard catch. Then two short completions to Sutton and Franklin between a nice Tyler Badie run. A holding call on left tackle Garett Bolles and illegal block in back by left guard Ben Powers, though, left the Broncos with a third and 20 from their own 30. A quick pass to Franklin made it a little closer for kicker Wil Lutz, who nailed his 43-yard field goal.
What the heck was going on out there? The 0-2 Broncos were up 17-0 on 2-0 Tampa Bay early in the second quarter. Yes, the Bucs were mssing three key defensive starters -- safety Antoine Winfield Jr., nose tackle Vita Vea and defensive lineman Calijah Kancey -- plus starting offensive tackle Luke Goedke.
There are no pity parties in the NFL, though, not when the Broncos had two of their own starters, right tackle Mike McGlinchey and outside linebacker Baron Browning, placed on injured reserve this week.
Momentum shifted momentarily near the end of the half when Broncos’ running back Javonte Williams fumbled the ball away at the Tampa Bay 35 with 4:35 remaining. Two long runs by Bucs’ running back Bucky Irving – Nix’s and Franklin’s college teammate at Oregon the previous two years – pushed the Bucs to first and goal at the 1. Denver’s defense nearly held but Mayfield hit a well-covered Chris Godwin for a 6-yard touchdown pass, pulling the Bucs to within 17-7 with 1:50 left in the half.
But Nix smartly and efficiently led a drive from his own 30 to the Tampa Bay 20 to set up a 38-yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining. One of Nix’s best plays was escaping a sack with 11 seconds left, getting outside the pocket and throwing it away to prevent a massive loss.
Nix had his 22-yard scramble in the third quarter that led to Lutz's third field goal.
Lutz hasn't missed a kick since last season. He was perfect in the preseason and is now 9 of 9 in field goals and 3 of 3 in extra points three games into the regular season.
Nix is still looking for his first NFL touchdown pass but there was no reason to fret on this day. This was the poised and confident Nix everyone saw during the Broncos’ preseason. After a two-game setback to start the regular season, hope is renewed in Broncos Country once again.
Only the head coach and starting quarterback get the W or L category with their individual stats. Bo is now in the NFL victory column. He'll enjoy it.
“Well, I've got to,'' Nix said. "You only get this moment one time and it’s not easy winning games in this league. Our guys deserve this. Our guys have earned this. We have a great team that really battled in there. We were one possession away in both of the first two games so, just to do what we were able to do today against a really good football team, it gives us a little bit of confidence moving forward.
"Still a long season, but you have to enjoy these wins when they’re here, and it’s a great first win.”
Bronco Bits
Broncos' safety Brandon Jones had 71 yards worth of returns -- 37 on an interception and 34 following a fumble recovery. ...
Sutton led Broncos' receivers with 7 catches for 68 yards.
Offensive tackle Frank Crum, a rookie from Wyoming, made his NFL debut as a Broncos’ backup and special teamer. With Mike McGlinchey down, Crum is the Broncos’ No. 4 offensive tackle behind Garett Bolles, Alex Palczewski and Matt Peart. …
Rookie receiver Devaughn Vele was inactive for a second consecutive game. Even though he was fully cleared from his rib injury by Friday, he didn’t get the reps during the week. He should be ready to go next week at the New York Jets.
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