INDIANAPOLIS — Sean Payton hates sacks.
He doesn’t just dislike them. The Broncos head coach cannot stand them.
Not only that, but he puts most of the blame for sacks on the quarterback rather than the offensive line.
It’s a major reason he grew frustrated with Russell Wilson a year ago — Wilson was sacked 45 times in 15 starts — and it’s one of the trends he’s liked in his quarterback group so far this summer.
The first preseason game Sunday at Indianapolis showed more of the same for Jarrett Stidham, Bo Nix and Zach Wilson. They combined to drop back 41 times against the Colts on Sunday afternoon and didn’t take a sack.
“It’s all about knowing where your outlets are, knowing when you’re hot, having a good feel for the pocket and it’s just being on time,” Nix said after Denver’s 34-30 win. “Being in rhythm, if your No. 1 or No. 2 isn’t there, get to No. 3 in a quick manner. I always say I feel like I can take a three(-step) drop, hitch and throw and get the ball out without them physically being able to get to me. It’s all about a quarterback’s timing and the offensive line did a great job today keeping us up.”
The group finished 29-of-41 passing for 279 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Here’s a closer look at each’s outing, in order of appearance.
Jarrett Stidham
Possessions/snaps: 2/11
Stat line: 3-of-7 passing, 37 yards, interception
Drive results: Punt, interception
Highlight: Stidham hears “checkdown” taunts from defensive players in practice when he drops the ball off to backs and tight ends, but he played aggressively Sunday. The sixth-year QB hit Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick back-to-back for 27 total yards on his first two throws.
Lowlight: The interception, but it wasn’t Stidham’s fault. Samaje Perine had the ball hit him in the chest, pop up and then in an attempt to corral it, he batted it right to Colts safety Kenny Moore II.
Analysis: Stidham looked good but had four offensive penalties from veterans around him on his two drives and then got unlucky on the interception. He got a fraction of the snaps the other two got on this day. Sean Payton said afterward that will balance some next weekend against Green Bay. A question in the interim: Do Stidham and Bo Nix split reps with the No. 1s in the joint practice against the Packers? Or is it Nix the whole way from here out?
Bo Nix
Possessions/snaps: 5/36
Stat line: 15-of-21 passing, 125 yards, TD, three carries for 17 yards
Drive results: Field goal, touchdown, fumble, field goal, touchdown
Highlight: It looked like Nix’s opportunity to run the two-minute drill was wasted when Lucas Krull fumbled on the first play of a drive, but Denver got the ball right back after a Keidron Smith interception. Then Nix went to work, completing 4 of 6 passes for 41 yards plus a 29-yard defensive pass interference on a pass up the left side for rookie Devaughn Vele. The two-minute operation drew praise from head coach Sean Payton and veteran receiver Courtland Sutton.
Lowlight: The fumbled snap with Luke Wattenberg gets a red flag here for two reasons: One, Nix has had issues a handful of times through the first couple weeks of practice. Two, he hardly played from under center the past two years at Oregon. Payton expressed a willingness to tailor the offense to whoever gets the starting job — perhaps more shotgun and pistol are in the cards if Nix starts Week 1 — but you’ve got to be able to play from under center without worry about ball security.
Analysis: Nix continued on the path he’s been traveling through training camp. Some mistakes here and there. Ball placement that doesn’t completely abandon him but occasionally wavers just enough to make a difference. Overall, though, there’s no reason to be unimpressed with how Nix played. He was in rhythm, threw the ball down the field and showed the ability to play from the pocket or outside. A long way to go and a lot to learn, but arrow up.
Zach Wilson
Possessions/snaps: 5/32
Stat line: 10-of-13 passing, 117 yards, three carries for minus-1 yard
Drive results: Fumble, touchdown, punt, touchdown, end of game
Highlight: The best part of the outing for Wilson was just his ability to play efficiently and confidently. On a putaway drive late in the game, he found rookie running back Blake Watson up the right sideline for 33 yards.
Lowlight: It was a steady outing for Wilson, whose day got off to an unfortunate start when Audric Estime fumbled and the Colts returned it for a touchdown. No major issues, though. The biggest question, really, is if Wilson will get a real chance against non-fringe roster guys against Green Bay or Arizona.
Analysis: Wilson played against reserves, obviously, but if he continues to stack good days and play aggressively while limiting mistakes the rest of the preseason, the roster picture gets interesting in a hurry. The 2021 No. 2 overall pick clearly has talent and seems to be benefiting from the structure and stability in Denver’s offensive and quarterback meeting rooms. It’s too early to say he’s a transformed player, but the early returns on this project warrant further investment.
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