ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Not all end-of-half or end-of-game scenarios are created equally.
As Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton laid out after Friday's practice, there's dozens — if not hundreds — of potential scenarios that a team can face in the final moments of a half or a game. And when a team finds itself in one of those scenarios, the approach can change based on whether the offense or defense is under pressure.
"If I said it's the end of the game and there's 38 seconds [and] they need a touchdown, [it's] advantage defense," Payton said.
On Friday, the Broncos faced what Payton described as a far more neutral scenario: Trailing by six points, 1:48 to play, two timeouts and the ball at the offense's own 25-yard line.
"We can get off the field defensively and right away flip the script, [and then] we're in two minute," Payton said. "We can be three-and-out, and [they're] in two-minute. It's understanding the situation, and we've got a litany more [to practice]."
Payton and the Broncos' focus on Friday was also specifically tailored to the first half, which created a different approach than an end-of-game scenario.
"Every half ends with someone in the two-minute drill, and most of the games end in the two-minute drill," Payton said. "There's so many situations — today, we just did end of the half. So when you do end of game, they want to hear 'Need three [points]' [or] 'need seven [points].' There's a goal in mind. End of half, not so much so. You're thinking field goal initially, and then maybe if you get down there a little earlier, you might get aggressive."
In the first true move-the-ball periods of training camp, quarterbacks Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham each had a chance to lead their groups to points to end the first half.
Nix, who led the first-team offense on Friday, methodically led the Broncos down the field and moved the ball to the opposing 20-yard line. Using a series of quick completions and his legs to scramble for needed yardage, Nix adeptly managed the clock and pushed the Broncos into field-goal range. While an offensive penalty briefly pushed Denver out of field-goal range, Nix and the offense rebounded with completions to Tim Patrick and Samaje Perine to get back in range and earn points. During the drive, Nix also took a shot at the end zone, and he nearly connected with Courtland Sutton for a deep touchdown pass.
In Stidham's attempt, he used a pair of chunk plays to move his group down the field. He first found Brandon Johnson for a moderate gain before going right back to Johnson for a gain of about 30 yards. As Nix did, Stidham also showed his ability to avoid pressure and scramble for yardage that pushed the Broncos into field-goal range.
When asked what traits quarterbacks must possess to be successful in two-minute action, Payton pointed to a multitude of factors.
"I think they're fast processors," Payton said. "I do think, again, the pocket gets muddied, they don't get stuck with sacks. They understand how to manage the clock. Throwing the ball away's fine. It stops the clock and we get to the next play. In a two-minute drill, the average amount of times you actually go to the line of scrimmage and call another play without a huddle is just a little over two times. Often times in a hurry-up drill, most of the time, the clock has stopped and you're back in the huddle. Someone got out of bounds or it's incomplete and then periodically you're right on the ball. Today, we're on the ball a lot just to get them comfortable with that. But [you want] someone that has got good presence and is able to really manage the clock [and] understand what I'm thinking. I can always manage the timeouts. I'm right with the officials.
"… I mean, look, our league's seen a number of great quarterbacks and we've always debated it, but these guys at some point will call the two-minute, and then occasionally you can beep in and say 'Heads up for a shot here.' You're kind of the copilot, if you will. Early on with these guys, we're in their ear and we're giving them the play. That's something, I think, you build that as you get more comfortable with it."
As the Broncos look to get more comfortable in those situations, Payton also still sees room to improve despite the favorable results for the offense on Friday.
"We had three penalties in the first wave," Payton said. "We're off the field defensively, but we have a neutral zone infraction, which all of a sudden extends [the drive]. Not only does it extend it, it stops the clock too. That's a three-point penalty, essentially. But then we're in field-goal range, we get an offensive foul that take us out — so [there's] a lot of stuff for us to coach on, relative to that situation."
QUICK HITS
… The Broncos re-huddled on several occasions during the practice, and Payton said the emphasis on attention to detail was an intentional focus heading into Friday's session.
"[I] just really wanted to harp on all the details today," Payton said. "Even as a staff, [I] just met with them [and said] 'I want to be on [them] about everything.' Today was that like stone-in-the-shoe day coaching. It's part of the discipline of playing. Fortifying the right 53, it's not just physically the talent. It's the mental toughness, the fortitude, all those other things. Can you be challenged? Can you be coached hard? How do you react? That was part of today."
… Wide receiver Courtland Sutton and cornerback Pat Surtain II continued their entertaining training camp matchup on Friday, and Sutton earned held the upper-hand on one particular team period rep. As Sutton ran a post, Surtain provided incredibly tight coverage — and yet Nix found a way to sneak the ball into a tight window, and Sutton held on for an impressive 15-yard grab.
… Outside linebacker Baron Browning continued his disruptive play in the backfield, as he showed his speed and chased the quarterback down from the backside of the defense for a would-be sack.
