The competitive fire that burns within us Denver Broncos Rookie quarterback Bo Nix shocked many. We saw it surface multiple times, including when it was directed at his head coach on the sideline in Week 5.

It's a side of Nix's personality that Broncos head coach Sean Payton enjoys and wants to utilize more heading into a crucial game Thursday night against his old team, the New Orleans Saints.

This is the first time Nix has had to launch a game with a short turnaround week. It has its own unique challenges.

“We talked; this is the first time he’s played on a short week,” Payton said of Nix. “Some of these guys haven’t played on a Thursday night, but that’s the game plan. They've played to unique game plans themselves when it comes to bowl games and whatnot. It’s really a mindset that you ultimately have to prepare for.”

Sticking with the long-term plan to develop Nix means not batting an eyelid at the adversity and criticism the Broncos have faced recently. Nix and his sheer competitiveness that Payton pointed to will be crucial if the Broncos are to weather all the ups and downs that the territory inevitably brings.

“Yeah, I think you have to do that because No. 1, you're going to have quick turnarounds and play on Thursdays. “You better get in gear or you’ll be left behind,” Nix said. “You go out there and you're not prepared and you have a bad game.” We don't want that. Everyone at this level is good. Everyone is good at what they do, they are great players, they are smart and they know the game. It's difficult. You have to raise your level, you have to find something, a competitive advantage over others.”

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After the Broncos lost a big division game to Justin Herbert, there was a high level of negativity Los Angeles Chargers. The Broncos looked very flat during large portions of the Week 6 loss.

For Payton, Nix's transition from college to the pros is a week-by-week process, often peppered with a bit of humor. The slow-starting Broncos had a mountain to climb after falling behind early, but when Nix lit a fire under himself in the fourth quarter last week, things took off.

Nix knows that two consecutive weeks of slow offensive starts isn't enough, so getting off to a quicker start was a priority for the Broncos during the short week.

“I did it for six games, and these coaches did it a lot more,” Nix said Wednesday. “I don't really know when that's going to happen. “We're just going to move forward, find ways to implement what's called for and get started quickly.”

The Broncos' locker room understands how emotional it will be for Payton to return to Caesars Superdome, a place where he brought so much success and happiness to Saints fans. Nix is ​​already smart enough to know that tearful distractions can be very costly when the challenges come as quickly as they do in the NFL.

“We understand it, but he didn't really make much of it. For us it's just another game. “I know he has put a lot of energy and effort into this organization, so I know it means a lot to him,” Nix said. “We just want to treat it like another game. Attack and compete like it’s another game.”

Broncos-Saints begins at 6:15 MDT on Amazon Prime Video.

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