ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — There’s no question as to why Broncos Country is finally buoyed with hope. And it's not because the Broncos beat the Indianapolis Colts, 34-30 in a preseason game Sunday. (Although, 34 points!! From the Broncos' offense, 34 points?)
There’s also no question why difficult-to-please head coach Sean Payton is pleased, if not satisfied.
The Broncos are getting fine play from their quarterback position. And not just from first-round rookie Bo Nix. Not just from steady veteran Jarrett Stidham. Not only from third-string reclamation project Zach Wilson.
And not only did the quarterbacks play well while combining for 29 of 41 for 278 yards with one touchdown, no sacks and no interceptions that pointed blame on the passer. Nix, Stidham and Wilson have also been playing well in training camp.
“I’m encouraged. I like what I’m seeing,’’ Payton said about his quarterbacks following the Broncos’ training camp practice on a warm late-Wednesday morning before a nice-sized gathering on the grassy berm. “I like where we’re at right now. And that’s encouraging for our team. Because when that [position is] unsettled and maybe not as far along, then there’s a lot of things you can do well, and yet the team sees there’s a ceiling on what you can do.”
Mike McGlinchey can speak for the team as the starting right tackle.
“I think there’s certainly an internal belief more than there was when I got here a year ago,'' McGlinchey said. "People believe that we can win, people believe that we’re on the right track and people have bought into the program.”
Nix especially delivered encouragement, completing 15 of 21 for 125 yards and a touchdown. The Broncos scored on all four of his four full possessions – two field goals and two touchdowns. (On another possession, he completed a pass on the first play to Lucas Krull, who then fumbled it away.)
“Decision-making was good,’’ Payton said on Nix. “I felt he was comfortable in the pocket. Thought his [pass] locations were good.
“You know, the No. 1 thing to do at quarterback is lead your team. And we scored.’’
And then a coach being a coach, Payton checked his complimentary testimony by pointing to Nix’s first two throws that were incomplete.
“There’s two plays where I think he can set his feet,’’ Payton said. “He was kind of backing up a little. We can clean that up. But I liked the production with his group while he was in there, and ultimately that’s their job.”
Stidham started with two completions to Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick for a combined 26 yards, then ran into all kinds of bad luck between offensive penalties and running back Samaje Perine bobbling a pass to his bread basket into an interception.
Wilson was really good, completing 10 of 13 for 117 yards while engineering two touchdown drives with the third unit.
“I felt his reps in the game were really good,’’ Payton said of Wilson, a former three-year starter with the New York Jets. “No. 1 there’s a poise because he’s been there. And then I felt like he was real comfortable. We were in and out of the huddle, there was no clock issue, all of that was smooth. But then his decision-making and he’s aggressive. I like that he’s going to take shots. He’s got a good live arm. I thought he had a real good game.’’
For the Broncos’ joint practice against the Green Bay Packers on Friday and preseason game Sunday evening (6 p.m. kickoff, 9NEWS), Payton will have Nix operate with the No. 1 offense, Stidham with the second stringers and Wilson again with the No. 3 offense.