TAMPA, Fla. — There are meetings.
And more meetings. And film study. And practice. And more film study. And treatment on your body. And weight lifting. And a heck of a whole lot more to get ready each week for an NFL game.
It's all worth it for the sacred few minutes of celebration inside the locker room after a big win.
For the first time in his young career, quarterback Bo Nix got the chance to experience the jubilation.
"It was great," Nix said. "Before the game, we wanted to hear the music and have a party. We played motivated today. We went out there and executed at a high level. I think that's what it's supposed to feel like. You get back in the locker room and everybody is really excited. You put so much into the week. You put so much effort, time [and] energy [in]. Those are what those moments are about. That's what you want to get to. You want to get to those postgame celebrations."
Nix's performance played a pivotal role in the Broncos' ability to earn their first win of the season. The rookie signal-caller completed all four of his passes on the Broncos' opening scoring drive before darting into the end zone for a touchdown, and he had 169 passing yards and a 97.3 rating at halftime.
After facing some early struggles in the Broncos' first two games, Nix showed a consistent ability to connect down the field — and he avoided throwing an interception after being picked off twice in each of his first two starts. Nix also showed an adeptness at avoiding the pass rush, as he was not sacked on 39 drop backs.
In the second half, Nix ducked away from a defender in the backfield and then weaved his way up the field for a 22-yard gain.
"Him being able to see the defense and understanding the game plan and knowing what plays will work for us, it's encouraging to see that, because it's only his third week," Courtland Sutton said. "I think I've spoken at length about it still being early for him. The strides that he's made so far are very encouraging, but he's only going to continue to get better. The more he sees defenses, the more he gets reps, the more he gets to be able to go out there and see the full-speed game reps, he's only going to continue to get better."
On Sunday, though, Sutton believes the Broncos got an idea of where they can go with Nix under center. Denver punted just twice against the Buccaneers, and the Broncos scored on six of their first nine possessions.
"I think we got to see a really good glimpse of the potential of where he can take this offense and where we can go as an offense with him at the helm," Sutton said.
While Head Coach Sean Payton said Nix "hasn't flinched" over the last two weeks, he did note that Nix likely had more fun on Sunday than in the previous two weeks. He also spoke highly of Nix's potential moving forward, provided his teammates and coaches offer the necessary support.
"It's so important — and I include myself and the offensive coaching staff — it's our job to paint a perfect picture for this player," Payton said. "… We used to say that about whoever is under [center]. Our job as coaches, as receivers [is] we have to paint the picture. When we do that, this guy is going to be something."
As the Broncos move forward, Nix will look to build on his impressive play. But in the moments after the game, Nix said he was focused on enjoying his first career victory.
"Well, I've got to," Nix said. "You only get this moment one time, and it's not easy winning games in this league. Our guys deserve this. Our guys have earned this. We have a great team that really battled in there. We were one possession away in both of the first two games; so, just to do what we were able to do today against a really good football team, it gives us a little bit of confidence moving forward. [It's] still a long season, but you have to enjoy these wins when they're here, and it's a great first win."
