Sunday’s win over the Packers provides even more hope

I want to believe. You do too. Everyone in Broncos Country wants to.

It’s been a long eight years. It feels like an eternity.

That’s the last time Denver was in the playoffs, a run that ended with the team hoisting their third Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl 50. That was nearly a decade ago.

In the years since, it’s been long walk through the desert for the franchise. Peyton Manning walked off into the sunset and the team has been searching for an answer at quarterback ever since. A year later, Gary Kubiak left due to health reasons, and the organization has been trying to find a competent head coach since the day he departed.

In the meantime, there have been a number of “answers” sold to the fan base. From head coaches to quarterbacks, the solution was always around the corner.

Vance Joseph was positioned as a “leader of men.” He was in over his head.

Vic Fangio was an old-school football coach. He proved to be a lifelong defensive coordinator for a reason.

Nathaniel Hackett was a new-age seeker of knowledge. He turned out to be nothing more than a snake-oil salesman.

That makes it hard to believe in Sean Payton. It’s difficult to buy into another bill of goods.

Sure, the Broncos current head coach has a good resume. After all, he’s won a Super Bowl. But how does that apply to what’s currently happening in the Mile High City?

It’s been 15 years since he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy with the Saints. That’s another city, another team, another decade. It hardly seems relevant.

Couple that with the fact that Payton seemed out of sorts during his first season in Denver and it’s reasonable to be skeptical about Denver’s current head coach. The Broncos were a mess in a lot of ways last year; giving up 70 points in Miami is atop the list.

That said, the Broncos look different this season. It’s hard not to recognize that they appear to be a dialed in team during the preseason, offering a buttoned-up operation in wins over the Colts and Packers.

The believers wants to credit that to Payton. They want to suggest that it’s the head coach imposing his will.

But it might be fool’s gold. After all, it’s the preseason. And Denver hasn’t exactly faced tough competition during their first two exhibition games.

Indianapolis took the first preseason tilt so seriously that they played five quarterbacks. Green Bay didn’t even bother to send a starter onto the field.

As a result, the Broncos 2-0 record is hard to read. What does it mean?

Perhaps it’s an example of Payton being on the ball. Maybe it shows that Denver’s head coach is dialed in. After all, his team has scored 34 and 27 points, respectively, in the two games.

But there are reasons to wonder. History makes it hard to believe.

The same can be said for the quarterback situation. Payton providing the answer as the team’s head coach pales in comparison to the idea that the team might actually have their quarterback of the future.

Since Manning rolled out of town, there have been a number of heir apparents put forth. None of them panned out.

Trevor Siemian was the immediate solution. Paxton Lynch was the next answer.

Case Keenum was a free-agent savior. Joe Flacco was a former Super Bowl MVP with similar aspirations.

Drew Lock was the hot-shot rookie. Teddy Bridgewater was the steady answer. Russell Wilson was the high-priced solution.

Nothing worked. Young, old. Rookie, veteran. Gunslinger, game manager. Cheap, expensive.

The Broncos couldn’t find a QB. No matter what they tried, it was a miss.

Enter Bo Nix. Through two preseason games, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft seems like the real deal. The quarterback appears to be everything the Broncos were missing.

On the heels of a solid debut in Indy, Nix got his first start on Sunday. He diced up the Packers in his initial stint at the helm.

Nix was 8-of-9 passing for 80 yards and a touchdown. He finished the game with a 140.7 QB rating.

That’s impressive. As a result, it’s hard not to be excited about what could be. It’s difficult not to get caught up daydreaming about the QB of the future finally having arrived in Denver.

There have been a lot of tests put in front of Nix thus far. He’s passed every one with flying colors.

Thus, I want to buy in. You want to buy in. Broncos Country wants to buy in.

But is this reality? That’s a good question.

Payton is taking the preseason super seriously. He treats them like a real game; he wants to win.

The Colts weren’t on that page. Neither were the Packers.

As a result, it’s hard to know what to make of the Broncos first two games. It’s difficult to know what can be learned from Nix’s first two games.

Does the team look good? Yep.

Does Nix look like the real deal? Yep.

That’s why everyone is jumping on board the bandwagon. Denver seems destined for uncharted waters.

Is that’s a prudent belief? Who knows?

But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. There’s a chance that the playoff drought is over.

Sean Payton might be the real deal at head coach. Bo Nix might be the answer at QB.

Are they? That’s the question.

I want to believe. You do too. Everyone in Broncos Country wants to.

Follow @jamesmerilatt