Those who subscribe to the “trap game” theory might be a bit worried this week, with the 9-2 Denver Broncos traveling to the nation’s capital to face the 3-8 Washington Commanders.
Traditionally, wildcard factors, such as the Commanders having to play backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, have the propensity to trip up ascending teams like Denver.
Of course, reserve signal-callers often throw curveballs at opposing defenses, but Sean Payton and company have dug deep into Mariota’s more recent game tape to know what’s coming. Diligent preparation always consumes Payton, but this final season-defining six-game stretch has everyone on notice to cover all the bases.
Payton is well aware that Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has taken over defensive play-calling duties, and his expertise in that crucial department certainly gives the Broncos’ head coach more to think about.
“We looked at all those numbers. I know he just started calling, so we’ve looked at those,” Payton said of Quinn. “They’ve had some injuries. Really, honestly, going back to Dallas, the last two years in Dallas, and then his early years with their defensive coordinators calling plays, all the pressure percent, man percent, zone. They were like dead on. We look at all of it, then you look at the opponent they’re playing.”
Quinn’s well-documented acumen on the defensive side of the ball might have been hampered by injuries this season, but Payton is determined to not leave the Broncos chin exposed on SNF.
“Sometimes it might be an opponent-driven gameplan. They do a number of things well,” Payton said of the Commanders. “They do a good job disguising pressures, so that’s the key thing in this week is making sure we have answers, much like a week ago. Different system, but with ‘Spags’ (Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo), there’s a lot you have to cover. I would say that’s the case this week.”
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An Eye on the Weather
Sep 29, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on from the sidelines during the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Forward planning has stretched to keeping a close eye on the weather forecast in DC, as a snow front pushed across the East Coast this week. Getting ready for what Mother Nature might throw at them even saw the Broncos do some wet-ball drills during the week. Apparently, the amateur meteorologist within Payton has been fully indulged.
“It’s one of the topics today. New sodded field, no one’s played on it. Then we have the My Cause My Cleats. What if those cleats aren’t the right shoes?” Payton said. “Making sure we understand the field conditions. We’ll do wet ball drills. We’ll do a lot of that.”
While Payton frets over the possibility of sloppy ball-handling and even the specialized cleats his players will wear, quarterback Bo Nix is planning to turn up and play ball, regardless of how inclement the conditions might be.
“I think it’s just trying not to think about it. The weather’s going to be the weather no matter what; there’s going to be nothing you can really do about it,” Nix said on Wednesday. “So play the play as it is called in and do your best to handle the elements, and if it’s cold, then handle the cold elements. If it’s raining, then handle the rain. But all we can focus on is just operating one play at a time, and usually there’s a way even with the elements to figure it out and play.”
Ultimately, Payton is busy pressing the buttons on the players to maintain a laser focus, but Nix sounds like he just wants to suit up and get at it.
When you factor in the potential for bad weather, Payton might be more inclined to stick with his recent strategy of grabbing the bull by the horns offensively and not leaning on the defensive unit too much.
“I want that number to get better in the first half and start faster. I thought we did a little bit a couple weeks ago against Kansas City,” Payton said. “We were going to take the ball. They won the toss, so we ended up with the ball. There were a number of things self-scout-wise that we look at and try to implement here in this stretch of six games.”
With only six games left on the schedule, having Payton entrenched in the Broncos’ corner is going to be massively important. Payton wants the Broncos to approach each opponent with the utmost seriousness and care so that the team can capitalize on its best start since 2015.
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