Canal Street Chronicles
Ian St. Clair joins us for Week 7 of “Interview with the Enemy.”
This week, the New Orleans Saints will host Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football to kick-off Week 7 of the 2024 regular season. Ian St. Clair of Mile High Report joins us to preview tonight’s first meeting between the two teams this season.
NJ: How would you grade rookie QB Bo Nix’s start to the season, what are his strengths and weaknesses? Have the Broncos found their franchise quarterback?
ISC: Nix has been solid, with moments of rookie struggles. In the first six games, Nix gets a B-. In those games, he’s faced some of the best defenses in the NFL, so he’s been immediately thrown into the proverbial fire. The fact he has the Broncos at 3-3 is respectable. Nix keeps any play alive with his legs. He’s confident. He’s a good leader. He can also make any throw, especially when Sean Payton opens his play sheet. Nix still struggles with the speed of the game and giving up on a play too quickly. In other words, he’s not going through his progressions before using his legs. That could be because his receivers aren’t getting open, but I’d like to see Nix make at least one more progression. All in all, Nix has a good start to his NFL career.
As for the latter question, there’s cautious optimism. There will continue to be learning curves. It’s just a matter of how he continues progressing and showing improvement.
NJ: How aggressive do you think former Saints HC Sean Payton’s play calling will be in his return to the Caesars Superdome with his new team? Will he be able to get Broncos RB Javonte Williams going on the ground against New Orleans’ struggling run defense, which leads the league in yards per carry allowed (5.2)?
ISC: I’ve wanted Payton to be aggressive since the Broncos shocked the NFL by blowing out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he hasn’t. The result has been slow starts that put Denver in a bind. We saw that again on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, only this time Nix and the Broncos couldn’t regroup. So, I’d love to see a game plan from Payton that mimics the Bucs game. The key to Denver’s running game is the offensive line. If it does its job, whoever carries the ball should succeed. I’d also like Payton to involve the backs more in the receiving game.
NJ: There are several former Saints on the current Broncos roster, including K Wil Lutz, DT Malcolm Roach, TE Adam Trautman, WR Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, TE Lucas Krull, FB Michael Burton, DL Jordan Jackson, LB Kwon Alexander (practice squad), and WR A.T. Perry (practice squad). Out of those guys, who has brought the most to the table for Denver?
ISC: Through the first six games, it’s been Malcolm Roach. While he doesn’t jump off the stat sheet, he’s been consistent in getting pressure and allowing...
