As the Denver Broncos seek to solve their issues with offensive consistency, one thing they know going forward is that quarterback Bo Nix likes to play fast. Going with a no-huddle approach gives Nix an advantage he needs at this point in his young career, as he explained to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. 

“I like it because it gets the defense off-balance,” Nix said. “They don’t have many calls they can get to real quick. We just play well from quick game, getting to the ball, finding answers and going.”

The stats show that Nix is spot on about this. According to TruMedia, the Broncos rank eighth in expected points added (EPA) per snap when operating without a huddle. 

The sample size is small, however. The Broncos have operated without a huddle on just 39 snaps, compared to league leaders like the Washington Commanders, who have gone no-huddle for 217 snaps. 

There’s risk in taking this approach, though. It increases the chances for a turnover, and coach Sean Payton wants to play a clean game. 

“He likes tempo, tempo to the line,” Payton said earlier this month, after the Broncos successfully sprinkled in some no-huddle plays during their win against the Bengals. “… He’s at the line with 26 seconds now instead of breaking the huddle with eight. You adapt because that’s something that a lot of these college quarterbacks are (used to). … Reducing the verbiage and getting to where we can call plays with just one name, one syllable. Those are some of the things that have changed.”

But Payton also wants to capitalize on the strength of Denver’s ground game. Getting running back J.K. Dobbins in rhythm is just as important as it is with Nix sometimes, especially when the defense is starting to look gassed. 

“I may not want tempo,” he said. “My defense might be tired. So if I’m going tempo, I want to be able to control that.” 

It’s a delicate balancing act, which is why Payton gets the big bucks to make the right call at the right time. He also has another issue to deal with this week, which is a massive hole in the middle of his offensive line. 

Backup guard Matt Peart joined starting guard Ben Powers on injured reserve with a knee injury on Monday after a disastrous outing as Peart single-handedly destroyed the concept of offensive rhythm with three bad penalties. 

Whatever approach he chooses, Payton will still have his rock-solid defense. The unit has shown the ability to be dominant, and that’s Denver’s biggest strength going into this week’s home game against the New York Giants.