Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix did something Russell Wilson never did last year, hollering back at Sean Payton as he erupted over his signal-caller going off-script.
The sideline interaction came as the Broncos‘ offense retreated to the sideline after open wide receiver Troy Franklin dropped a deep pass in the end zone in the third quarter of Denver’s 34-18 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Payton said Nix flipped the play call and he wasn’t happy about it. When Nix came off the field, he laid into him — and Nix clapped right back.
“There is still a little bit of Ferris Bueller in him we are trying to get rid of,” Payton said afterward. “I love him to death. And sometimes (what you saw) is my love language.”
Funny he called it that, because Nix refused to relay what all the animated discussion entailed.
“He turned and looked at me and said, ‘I love you,’” Nix joked, “and I said, ‘I love you’ back.”
As for the Ferris Bueller reference, Nix said, “Yeah, I have watched the movie. Literally, I think it explains the situation. We were out there with intensity and fire.”
Who was right and who was wrong didn’t matter. What Nix did was cement himself as a leader, one who showed why there’s a “C” on his jersey as a rookie who earned his teammates’ trust.
Tight end Adam Trautman, who saw plenty of heated interactions between Payton and Drew Brees while they were all with the New Orleans Saints, said players respect a quarterback who’s just as passionate as the coach.
“They are two very competitive people and they love each other, love working with each other. So, it’s not like a problem at all. It’s a very good thing,” Trautman said. “I think it is a good thing when your quarterback shows up and is fiery and all that type of stuff.
“That’s what you want to play for as a player and that’s who you want to step in the huddle with. I mean, it is what it is, whatever happened on the sideline. But I can stay we as players absolutely respect that type of stuff.”
On the broadcast, FOX Sports analyst Daryl Johnston quoted some words of advice that Drew Brees had shared with Nix through an interview with Colin Cowherd on FS1’s “The Herd” last week: “Sean Payton is going to be demanding of you. You have to be demanding right back. There’s part of that relationship. And let me tell you, you have to have respect. You’re going to have these things happen during the course of a game. When you step between the white lines and you’re competitive, sometimes you’re going to have tempers flare a little bit.
“But these two will be in lockstep moving forward. I think that’s a great example of what Drew Brees was talking about.”
After the sideline squabble, Nix was surgically efficient in driving Denver to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, sneaking in from the 1 and finding Josh Reynolds with a 9-yard dart.
The entire episode was so different from the time last season when Wilson ad-libbed during a 42-17 loss at Detroit and Payton chewed him out on the sideline. Wilson just stood there and didn’t talk back. (He’d only start one more game for Denver before being benched in a prelude to his offseason release.)
Payton said Monday he likes having a quarterback in Nix who will stand up for himself.
“Absolutely. Absolutely. All good,” Payton said. “It’s the heat of the moment, it’s the game, it’s competitive and he’s fiery. Look, we’re in the business of passion. We’re looking for passion and we’re looking for people with passion for the game, not other things. And I think that it’s so important to him.
“And so again, I loved his response and we’re on to the next play and it’s nothing.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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