Sean Payton Had a Curious Opinion of Bo Nix's INT vs. Cowboys

Sean Payton had a lot to say when he was asked about Bo Nix's early interception vs. the Dallas Cowboys, taking his answer in a complimentary direction.

Oct 26, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Blowing the doors off the Dallas Cowboys to the tune of a 20-point victory was bound to put a smile on the face of Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton. Four touchdowns came from the right arm of Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.

The fact that Nix overcame an interception on the opening drive likely made the post-game flowers from Payton smell all the sweeter. 

“Yes, his [Nix] feet got away from him a little bit," Payton said of Nix's early interception. "He bounced right back. He was magnificent. He was outstanding.” 

Nix's Resolve

Starting slow has certainly hampered the Broncos on the offensive side of the ball for much of this year, so Nix knew he had to put his early error behind him as soon as possible and get on the scoreboard.

“I just owe it to the team. You cannot go into a shell for the rest of the game," Nix said post-game. "That is not going to do anybody any good, including myself. I definitely was not happy about it, but what can I do, go back and change it? I have to move forward. I can only change the future and go make the plays in front of me. That is what we did.” 

While historic fourth-quarter comebacks always send the heart rate soaring, on this particular Sunday, it was much more appealing that Payton tapped into the sheer potential of what this Nix-led offense can do. 

“Yes, I think the biggest thing, I thought the work week was uniquely different, and I thought they handled that challenge of that coming off of a crazy comeback challenge," Payton said. "The numbers are awful, and so I’m glad we addressed it.” 

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Production > Potential

Translating potential into production got a nice turbo boost from the Broncos facing a defense that remains last in most of the key metrics so far this season. No doubt, the Broncos' efficiency was made easier by the Cowboys' ineptitude, but the directive to decimate this week's opponent came from the very top. 

“We wanted to keep them last. We went into the game, and we recognized the injuries," Payton said. "There are a lot of injuries on our team throughout the league that was unimportant to us. We just went into the game focusing really on what we do, what we do well."

Matchup Maestro

Oct 26, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Payton explained how the Broncos had isolated a few matchups they really liked vs. the Cowboys, utilizing Troy Franklin as the weapon of destruction, to win them.

There were a handful of plays—Troy’s touchdown was matchup-driven boundary corner," Payton explained. "Shoot, I think he [Dallas CB Trikweze Bridges] was teammates with Bo and Troy at Oregon at one point. That’s part of the game.” 

Rookie Riot

Payton also chose a perfect strategic moment to unleash his crop of rookie talent flying under the radar, a group that many critics have been saying has been underperforming thus far. Perhaps justifiably, Payton was quick to throw sand in the face of the negative narratives that have been out there about him squandering this year's draft class.

Among the rookies, running back RJ Harvey scored three touchdowns, while wide receiver Pat Bryant notched his first ever score. First-round cornerback Jahdae Barron picked off his first NFL pass, courtesy of Dak Prescott.

“A lot of production from the rookie class. Maybe they read someone’s article, I don’t know," Payton said. "But interception, touchdowns. I mean, it’s great to see them moving, getting the experience. Sometimes it’s more difficult, but Jahdae had the interception right before the half—that was a big play. Pat, all of it was good.” 

Sky's the Limit

Where exactly this offense can go from here is as tantalizing as it is intriguing. You could say that increased production coming from the rookies on the offensive side will most definitely be required, especially with the Houston Texans' impressive defense next up on enemy turf. 

Drubbing the Cowboys and getting everyone involved is a perfect tonic at this juncture, but Nix knows that keeping the offense on point will be key to sustaining success. 

“We've got a lot of potential. We played really well on all cylinders. Run game, pass game, third downs, base downs, we played well in the red zone and scored points," Nix said. "I think only one field goal. We played well when we needed to. Our defense played well and got us the ball back a lot. Overall, it was a really good performance by us.”