Javonte thunder, Auburn Bo and Barton breakout highlight Broncos win

The Denver Broncos got back on the winning track in a big way. They beat up the New Orleans Saints 33-10 in a game that wasn’t as close as the blowout final score indicates. Sean Payton returned to coach against the Saints, a team he won a Super Bowl with, and it was an emotional day for him.

The Broncos are now 4-3 with a mini-bye week coming up. They will play again in 10 days against the Carolina Panthers – a game that looks very winnable at this point.

After the game, Payton appreciated his team’s effort.

“I thought it was a good team win. We did a lot of things well tonight that we statistically talk about. You are always adjusting and getting used to the short week schedule when you are at home and on the road. We talked all week about a fast start. I thought they handled the mental part of it. It’s really easy to complain on a short week and pretty soon no one cares. I thought our preparation for those two days were good. I didn’t want to go through all the stats with them. First half leads fair better for those teams. For me I know I wasn’t going to tell them that we were 5-0 with the lead and 0-5 when we didn’t have one. That’s the last thing I wanted to mention to them. I thought we ran the ball well of course. Defensively, we had pressure. They are nicked up. I told Dennis Allen to get healthy. They have a good football team. A lot of their players right now weren’t able to play. Overall, I’m pleased how we played,” Payton said.

Here are three observations from the Broncos win over the Saints in Week 7.

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Thunder Thrived

A big reason why the Broncos were able to win is because of starting running back Javonte Williams. Against a poor-tackling Saints defense, Williams’ thunderous style was featured successfully.

For one game, Williams looked like the player he used to be before a devastating knee injury suffered early in the 2022 season. Williams was running over defenders, and he kept his legs churning to help move the chains.

His powerful style was on full display, and that physicality helped set the tone for the Broncos offense. Williams finished the game with 14 carries for 88 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Payton liked what he saw from Williams.

“He had to have been good. I didn’t see all of the numbers. We actually were going to come out early, mix in the run and the read option. Bo (Nix) did a great job. We got a penalty called on one that was an impossible penalty. He threw the ball in .5 seconds and we got called for someone downfield (illegal downfield pass). It can’t happen meaning it’s an impossibility. I thought all of that clicked. We blocked them. You get a sense right away how you are matching up. Really from the late second quarter on it was pressure. We got a lot more zone tonight from this team maybe to keep more eyes on Bo. He did a good job with his feet. Javonte had some really good runs. When you have a night like that rushing and the time of possession, the script was flipped a little bit from last week. Fortunately from our defense, they got some rest,” Payton said.

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Auburn Bo

Bo Nix is a running quarterback. Now, that’s not what he was in college at Oregon – even though he could take off to run. However, it was the type of dual-threat quarterback he was when he came out of high school and went to Auburn.

We’re not yet seeing Oregon Bo, but we are certainly seeing Auburn Bo on a near-weekly basis. Nix is not yet polished as a passer. In fact, his footwork is bad and needs work. This will help his accuracy and pass placement – especially if he’s forced to throw on the move. Nix overthrew tight end Lucas Krull and underthrew wide receiver Troy Franklin (on the same play) on what would have been a passing touchdown.

While Nix did not have a passing score in Week 7 and finished with only 164 yards, he did finish the game as the team’s second-leading rusher behind Williams. Nix had 10 carries for 75 yards, including a 32-yard run to highlight his day on the ground. As he learns to be a better pro passer, Nix is gashing defenses on the ground and after seven games he’s the team’s second-leading rusher.

Nix is also one of only four quarterbacks in the NFL with 250 or more yards rushing so far in the 2024 season. It’s not what many expected, but it’s what he’s doing best to help his team win games. Nix joins Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, and Kyler Murray as the only quarterbacks to pass that mark this season.

Payton remains confident in his young quarterback as he learns the pro game.

“I had made this comment earlier when we drafted him. When you watch him play, you don’t feel like you are in harm’s way. He is tough to sack. He has good ball location. He makes a lot of plays with his feet. He has some big play opportunities. There is confidence that you get as a playcaller that allows you to be more aggressive. We wanted to come out tonight in that mindset,” Payton said.

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Barton Breakout

I liked when the Broncos added inside linebacker Cody Barton earlier this year. The team has struggled to find quality players in coverage at that position since the days of Danny Trevathan, and I felt Barton could finally answer that for the team.

I didn’t see Barton having a breakout like he did against the Saints.

Barton was everywhere against the Saints. He was showing up in coverage as expected, but he also was in on a lot of run plays. Barton finished the game with eight tackles and one sack. However, it was his big play in the fourth quarter that sealed the game.

In the final period, Barton was able to pick up a fumble from Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler and run into the end zone for a 52-yard score. That touchdown put the Broncos up 33-3, and it made up for the fumble recovery for a touchdown he called back due to an offsides penalty on defensive tackle DJ Jones.

After the game, Barton talked about what it’s like playing on a defense where everyone can make a play.

“Being on this defense is fun. It’s aggressive. Everyone has a chance to eat. Today, I feel like it was kind of my day. Some of those bigger splash plays came my way. If this game were tomorrow, you don’t know who it is going to be. That’s kind of how this defense is. It’s a lot of fun just running around.” Barton said.

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