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Bo Nix, Sean Payton finding groove for surging Broncos

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Why Bo Nix is a legit top-10 fantasy QB option in Week 9 (1:17)

Tristan H. Cockcroft explains the fantasy appeal for Bo Nix this week in a matchup vs. the Ravens. (1:17)

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Daily conversations, intense practices, a long list of meetings and some well-placed "dots" -- it's all in the weekly stew served to served to Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who continues to learn what he likes and doesn't like while finding his comfort level in the game plans coach Sean Payton's staff construct each week.

"Every week I give him the calls that I like, and he goes from there," Nix said. "He calls it how he sees it with the thought in the back of his mind of knowing what I like. ... We are always finding ways to get better and working together as playcallers.

"I am also a rookie, so there is a time when I do not have much say or I do not have much to offer in that regard. I can just go out there, run whatever he calls and try to make it work."

Payton has said one of the things he liked most about Nix in the pre-draft process was the 24-year-old's maturity. That maturity is needed because there are times, corroborated by those who have played for Payton and coached alongside him, when the coach displays a hard edge in how he communicates, especially with quarterbacks.

Broncos defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, who also played for Payton in New Orleans, has said, "[Payton] will always tell you what he thinks you need to hear ... it's not for everybody."

Nix and Payton are just eight regular-season games into their working relationship, and the Broncos have won five of their past six games after an 0-2 start. Nix's improvement in Payton's system has played a part in that, as he has thrown eight touchdown passes to one interception during the 5-1 stretch. Nix was named the NFL offensive rookie of the month for October for his play, which the Broncos hope continues when they face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, M&T Bank Stadium, CBS).

Those who know Payton say that Nix earned trust when he was more than willing to engage in a heated sideline exchange with his coach during the Broncos' Week 5 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. During that game, former Saints and current Dolphins tackle Terron Armstead posted on X that "Bo just became Sean's favorite player."

"It kind of gets back to make-up," Payton said of the Nix's mindset. "... There's some players I might coach differently than others, relative to the challenge ... and others that I know can handle it."

But some opposing coaches have said they've seen adjustments from Payton to put Nix into situations in which he thrived in college, even if they differ from what Payton has done in the past. He has called more runs for his quarterback -- who has rushed for 61 or more yards in two of his past three games -- and increased the number of run-pass option plays.

The Broncos have also relied more on play-action recently. After running play-action on only 20.4% of dropbacks in the first six weeks of the season (25th in the league), Denver has run it a league-leading 41.1% of dropbacks the past two weeks, including 47.5% in this past Sunday's victory over the Panthers. Nix's QBR of 80.9 the past two weeks is seventh in the NFL.

"I think that play-action and getting Bo moving in the pocket is just a combination of those things," said Broncos tight end Adam Trautman, who also played for Payton in New Orleans. "It's tailored to the quarterback more and he is super athletic. ... I had no idea how athletic he was, so he's done a great job."

Payton, too, has said he has had to adjust his thinking to fit Nix's running ability in the game plan, saying that Nix, who didn't run the 40-yard dash or participate in agility drills in the pre-draft process, is "faster than we thought he was."

"I thought when it comes to the tape, I had felt like I had shown enough of that quality," Nix said. "I wanted to show my throwing ability throughout the process because, if anything, I was not wanting to get tied up in the running stuff."

As the Broncos move through game-week preparation, there will be times when Payton wants to know what Nix really thinks of the plan in place. When asked how important it is for the quarterbacks to give him a frank opinion about his play list, Payton emphasized his desire for honesty and not what the quarterbacks might think he wants to hear.

"When I first got into this league in Philadelphia, [then-Eagles offensive coordinator Jon] Gruden would go to [former quarterback] Ty Detmer and go through the plays [to grade them]," Payton said. "[At about] the 28th play, Ty is giving 28 Bs. ... That would frustrate Jon and it was like, 'All right. What are we doing?'"

The quarterbacks usually get early looks at the week's game plan on Tuesdays. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are for practices and walkthroughs, with the quarterbacks working through first-, second- and third-down situations along with red-zone plays while giving constant input.

"I do not mind giving him an honest opinion," Nix said. "We are evolving, cutting it up on the sideline, and we are going back and forth. It is good times out there and great memories."

On Saturdays, Payton and Nix go through the call sheet again, including what Payton calls "the openers" -- the scripted plays to start the game. At that point he wants Nix's thoughts and asks him to "dot" the plays he likes most.

"It's certainly a comfort level with certain plays," Payton said. "[It] is kind of our last install -- 'Hey, can we get this in?' Or something he's comfortable with. Usually, then we put it in."

The process sometimes continues in games. Quarterbacks coach Davis Webb is never too far from Nix on the sideline, either going over the previous series on a tablet or standing next to the QB during timeouts.

And Webb, along with offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, advises Payton on tweaks and relays when Nix has seen something on the field that's different than expected.

"That process is pretty business-like," Webb said. "There's no time to sort of dance around it, we have to get right to it, and the more Bo and I are together, you get a shorthand with it all. But he's good about the process; he understands what we need, and I think we understand what he needs."

The current process involves hunting for more big plays and consistency in the passing game, as Nix is 29th in average yards per completion (9.3) and 25th in completion percentage (63.2%). But the Broncos have won each of the five games Nix has not thrown an interception and he has only taken 11 sacks this season (tied for seventh-best in the league).

"I do see the progress, but I still see some [plays] that I'm leaving out there," Nix said. "... Feeling like I am making strides, but at the same time, there's things that I continue to go back and watch and know that I'm capable of doing. ... The standard's still very high and I'm still working to reach that."