Mile High Report
Sean Payton clarified on Monday that his comments about a different team this year weren’t about one QB over another. It may not be about Russell Wilson, but it is definitely about Bo Nix.
After the win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Sean Payton noted that “last year’s team doesn’t win this game.”
He elaborated that it was the “grit” and “mental toughness” from this current iteration that was the difference.
“This is an entirely different team from a year ago,” he had said. “That’s no discredit to last year’s team. It just is what it is.”
During his Monday presser, when Payton was inevitably asked about it again, the coach seemed to understand the obvious allusion to former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson.
So this time he decided to elaborate a little more, noting there are a bunch of new guys that have brought the chemistry to the locker room. Guys like Malcolm Roach, Brandon Jones, John Franklin-Myers, plus all the new rookies...and of course, the quarterback.
“It’s addition and subtraction. It’s not your sexy story about one quarterback for the other,” he said. “That’s not the narrative here, that’s not the story at all. It’s a number of different changes.”
OK, coach.
“Sometimes as a coach, you’re not certain as to, ‘Who was the most important one?’ or if there was a most important one,” he said. “And with the changes, you have a different team. It’s not at all a one position discussion, it’s just a different team.”
Despite taking an opportunity to clarify that this had nothing to do with Wilson — which it did and didn’t — Payton probably didn’t convince anyone he didn’t mean both.
And he doesn’t need to because both things can be true.
This year’s team has a different personality because of a lot of different players. True. This team — because of this quarterback — wins against the Raiders. Also true.
The added talent and young energy is a big reason for the good vibe as the guys have all bought in to the Payton Way, and the team is on a roll.
But no player’s buy-in is more important than the quarterback’s, and that should not be understated — even if Payton tried.
For all the impressive stats flooding social media about Nix after the win, the thing I like the best about Nix is not one thing. It’s everything.
He is the total package. He has the arm talent. He has the desire to get better. He has the football IQ to learn a complicated playbook. He has the ability to fix mistakes. He has the charisma to appeal to fans. He has the balls to yell at his coach. And he has the savvy to say all the right stuff but still sound genuine to the media.
Most importantly, he has the “it factor” for his teammates — offense and defense — who are all in behind a rookie.
[Bo Nix efficient again as...
