Sean Payton Sounds Off on Broncos' Tougher-Than-You-Think Schedule

Factoring in the distinct possibility that Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton will start rookie quarterback Bo Nix in Week 1, getting off to a good start is crucial. But it's far from guaranteed.

The Broncos face the gauntlet of playing three out of their first four games to open up the 2024 campaign on the road. Denver will later have to negotiate a brutal stretch run to end the season, which will include a fourth and final trip to the Eastern time zone to face Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Throw in Denver's bye not coming until Week 14, and it's a tougher schedule than its .495 strength of schedule would imply. Payton is well aware that the slate of fixtures is completely out of his control, but there are certain aspects of the Broncos' travel and practice itinerary that he can use to his team's advantage.

Payton is going to leave nothing to chance, planning way ahead for the weather the Broncos might run into during their early-season East Coast road swing, and then once again later on.

"Over the years, schedule-driven... No.1, we can't control it," Payton said last week. "So the first thing I look for is weather. There are two weather possibilities at Tampa and then Cincinnati."

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Payton is banking on the trip to Tampa being hot and muggy, and when the Broncos travel to Cincinnati for a Week 17 contest, it's bound to be frigid. Tampa also has a nasty habit of throwing plenty of precipitation at visiting teams every so often, whereas, in Cincy, there's a fair chance that it could be snowing in late December.

Such contrasting weather conditions could present a tricky challenge should it be Nix who gets the starting nod. Mercifully, the rookie is used to playing in a variety of climates, after accumulating 61 starts at both Auburn and Oregon. Should rain or even snow confront the Broncos, Nix has 10-inch-plus hands to help hold onto the ball, and that will, in theory, minimize costly turnovers.

Even so, Payton will have to take special precautions to protect his rookie signal-caller at several junctures this season. Throwing Nix blindly to the wolves must be avoided because it could do more damage than good.

Perhaps that's why Payton will split the schedule into quarters to make it easier for everyone to digest. In the meantime, it sounds like the head coach is making advance provisions to set the Broncos up in different locations to prepare them for these tricky road contests.

"I look at travel," Payton said. "There's a good chance after we play Tampa [that] we might practice somewhere else on the East Coast. We asked for that when have four Eastern time zone games. So after Tampa, we're sorting through where we might go before we play the Jets. Those are the first that came to mind. The second thing, obviously, the first quarter pole, three of the first on the road. The second quarter pole, three of the four are at home. Ultimately, it is what it is. We go to play them.""

In the final analysis, taking a crystal ball approach to any team's schedule is a fool's errand. The NFL remains the king of parity.

Compiling vital wins and developing a young QB is paramount for the Broncos moving forward, so gaining any kind of competitive advantage will be critical.

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