Tom Brady understands the importance of a coach showing belief in your ability. It was in 2001 that the then-Patriots coach Bill Belichick turned to him when starting QB Drew Bledsoe suffered an injury. Brady, a second-year unproven sixth-round draft pick from a year earlier, was thrust into the spotlight. Though his performances were indifferent, Belichick chose to stick with him even after Bledsoe returned. Safe to say, he was right and we could see a similar situation brewing at the Broncos.

The winter buzz in Denver is focused on Bo Nix. Instead of exchanging Green Chile recipes fans are sharing thoughts on Sean Payton’s handling of the rookie QB. While many are skeptical of the belief Payton has shown in Nix, on Monday he was vindicated to some extent.  Facing third-and-11 in the third quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns, Payton called on Nix to deliver a strike from his own end-zone to the midfield. The result? A 93-yard touchdown pass. That is what a coach’s confidence in a young player can do and Tom Brady is all for it.

In October, Payton addressed how he has to be careful about “not coaching” Nix as he continues to develop. Weighing in on Colin Cowherd’s show on Tuesday, Brady echoed Payton’s approach, calling it a balance between trust and control.

Brady said, “The trust that a coach has in a player, it manifests itself all the time. I can always tell when I watch a play-caller try to manage a game from the sideline, he’s trying to manage the risk. And when you have a quarterback where you feel like, ‘You know what, I know he’s going to make good decisions,’ well, then you can actually go out there and — you don’t have to manage. 

It’s hard to manage a quarterback because you’re in the eye of the storm on every play; you touch the ball 70 snaps. So when you have a quarterback that you’re trusting who’s making good decisions, well then you want to give him more opportunities.”

Let’s get one thing straight: The MNF win against the Browns wasn’t Bo Nix’s best showing. Sure, Denver won, but winning at the expense of your QB completing just 51.4% of his passes with two interceptions? Yeah, one of those Ws after which you get back to the drawing board. But we all know that progress isn’t always pretty.

The numbers tell part of the story. Nix has racked up a passer rating of 87.9, with 2,842 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions in 13 games. Decent, right? But the Broncos fandom is clamoring for Payton to fix the rookie’s mechanics ASAP. Payton’s approach, though? Less about perfection, more about rhythm. But both Nix and Payton are embracing the challenge. Brady pointed out how certain coaches like Payton will show faith in their QB’s abilities to read the play to make this tandem work.

“That takes a great developmental coach and I would say Sean Payton certainly is that, he’s a phenomenal coach and a quarterback that wants to embrace that opportunity to learn a skill set of how to manage a game not just ‘Hey coach what’s the play? Tell me what to do coach, tell me the play. But why are we calling that play, why are we in this situation, why don’t we understand the why behind what we’re doing? How do we beat man coverage, how do we beat zone coverage, why are we calling this play in this situation and then ‘okay I understand why you’re doing that so if we don’t get the look we want I can manage the play as a quarterback and get to the next down while still making a positive play,'” Brady added.

Of course, Broncos Country isn’t entirely sold. Nix has shown flashes of brilliance, but his technical inconsistencies haven’t gone unnoticed. Moments are not enough to build on the 8-5 record so far in the playoffs. His inconsistent footwork has been brought to light as he has missed open receivers at times this season.

His early season was also marred by struggles when it came to mid-range passes in the first two weeks. He misfired on 20 of his 28 pass attempts between 5 and 15 yards, including 0-of-8 on those between 10 and 15 yards. The Broncos suffered two defeats to start their season and all eyes were firmly on Nix. But Payton persisted and has been rewarded to some extent. He has not wavered in his commitment to the 12th-overall pick of the 2024 draft.

In October, after the Broncos’ 33-10 win over New Orleans, Nix was again under scrutiny for his performance, drawing questions about his development under Payton. But in the aftermath, Payton stood by the player. “I think you have to be careful you’re not over-coaching,” Payton said Monday. “There are some things he does very well out of the pocket or climbing up in the pocket. I think we start with the focus on timing of the route, the depth of the route in the (shot)gun or under center, (is it a) three-, five- or seven(-step drop back)? We work on the rhythm of the play so that his feet marry up to the depth of the route,” he clarified.

Nix has rewarded that show of confidence with the Broncos sitting 8-5 and finding themselves three games over .500 this late in a season for the first time in eight years. A playoff place is now a realistic target and Nix will be at the heart of that success. As Brady mentioned a QB has to not only listen to what his coach is saying but also question why they are going with a certain plan and it seems Nix has been doing that as well.

Bo Nix is sharing his ideas with Sean Payton

Nix has shown that he is willing to take responsibility and learn as much as he can from the coaching staff while sharing his input in the game plan. Before his debut, when asked about his game-planning process with his head coach, Nix said, “Right now, as a rookie, I don’t have a whole lot of say. I just go in there and do what I’m told.”

It also made sense, given that HC Payton, OC Joe Lombardi, quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, and other members of the coaching staff have a wealth of experience. But fast-forward to December, and things have changed.

“I do not mind giving him an honest opinion,” Nix said ahead of the Cleveland Browns game. While he may not plan each play with Payton, his words will carry weight. This quality can go a long way in making him the desirable QB that the Broncos fans and Payton want as seen in the sensational 93-yard pass.

Can Payton’s methodical coaching turn potential into production? The Broncos’ future hinges on this experiment, and one thing’s for sure—it’s going to be one heck of a ride. Buckle up, ORANGE CRUSH!