Mile High Report
Bo Nix hates to lose.
That’s not really breaking news, but it does give a glimpse into his competitiveness and drive.
That’s a trait the Denver Broncos quarterback shares with Sean Payton. In fact, the Broncos head coach hates losing more than he likes winning. That approach and mindset help explain why Denver sits at 10-2 and in a prime spot to get the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs.
That motivating factor will also be the heart of how the Broncos approach the game today against the Las Vegas Raiders and the final stretch of the regular season.
When Payton was asked earlier this week if winning is addictive, especially since his team is on a nine-game winning streak, he said:
“I just think I hate losing more than anything in the world. I think fear of failure is a very significant motivating factor. I think from a details standpoint, there’s nothing that’s too small that’s not significant. That has to exist outside the lines as well. The entryway, the locker room, the signage, and postgame. In everything we do, there’s been thought given to all of it. Almost maniacal with the details. I just think that eventually the feeling of the player feeling like, ‘They’ve thought of everything.’”
That maniacal approach to the details is one of the traits that is contagious. For the players, coaches, and every member of the organization. When the topic of culture change in Denver and within the franchise is discussed, this is at the heart of that cultural shift.
“Thank goodness for me, I feel like all of my head coaches have been pretty detail-oriented,” Nix said to the local media earlier this week. “That’s why they have gotten to where they were. Coach (Sean Payton is) very detailed, very specific in what he wants, so it honestly makes it a little easier playing for him because you know what he wants, he’s going to explain it to you.
“As a player, you just have to do what he’s asking of you. If you mess up, he’s just going to run it again. Nothing to it. Just do it again, and do it again, and feel it out. Make sure you do it right, and then we’ll move on to the next one. It’s a really important thing I think for the details to be important, and if the details are important, no matter big or small, you’re going to have a good, detailed team.”
As for the fear of failure, Payton said it’s a very good trait for Nix to have.
“That’s a healthy feeling,” Payton said. “There’s that clock, and it’s that race to digest the game plan, the checks, the kills. That’s why a lot of these (quarterbacks) lose their hair and coaches lose their hair, turned gray. There’s a lot that goes into the preparation. There’s a lot of stress that goes into that.”
Although Nix said it’s more the common...
