ESPN publishes long look at Broncos playoffs, Sean Payton says ‘we missed Bo’

If you’re a fan of the Denver Broncos, ESPN’s Seth Wickersham delivered a huge treat on Tuesday morning.

Wickersham published a very long and deep look at the team’s playoff run last season. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to read the whole thing, depending on your pace.

And while there are a ton of headlines, ranging from Sean Payton floating the idea of hiring Bill Belichick to Payton maybe walking away if the Broncos won the Super Bowl, it all comes back to Bo Nix.

Denver was forced to play backup QB Jarrett Stidham in the AFC Title Game after Nix broke his ankle against the Buffalo Bills.

Two key things happened with Stidham on that snowy Sunday. One, the Broncos could’ve gone up 10-0 in the first half over the New England Patriots, but Payton went for it on a controversial fourth-down. The play never stood a chance and the score remained 7-0 Denver.

And two, Stidham had a key fumble that ultimately led New England to being able to tie the game 7-7. They would go on to win 10-7, leading to an offseason full of “what if?” questions in Broncos Country.

While those plays can be dissected over and over again, Wickersham had unbelievable access to Payton in the weeks leading up to both the Bills and Patriots playoff games.

And when the Broncos lost to New England, failing to get to the biggest game in sports, this section of the massive article stood out the most.

“(Payton) sifts through, looking for one thing, anything — dropped passes, turnovers, snow, this or that call — knowing that nothing will suffice. Football is never one thing. It’s all the things you know and all you wish you didn’t. A week ago, he needed to believe in order for his team to believe, and in the days that followed, he found a way, because he always finds a way, and by kickoff, dammit all, that belief was full and true. He looks at me — or directs an empty gaze in my direction — struggling with his choices, struggling with the feeling, struggling to remember what belief felt like in the first place.

‘Man, we missed Bo in that game,'” Payton tells Wickersham.

Again, it’s just one fascinating part of a mini-novel that every Broncos fan should read. The storytelling is incredible and it’s very cool that Payton and the team gave Wickersham this access.

Yes, if the Broncos had Nix against the Patriots, they almost certainly go to the Super Bowl. Winning it versus the Seattle Seahawks would’ve been a different story, but everyone in Denver would’ve loved that opportunity.

To read the full article, click here.

You wont regret it.