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The Denver Broncos are hoping that their success last year will translate this season. Denver's run to the AFC Championship Game was built primarily on the backs of their incredible defense. In contrast, their offense was… questionable at times. It was never atrociously bad, but it was a bit prone to bouts of inconsistency. Many of these issues stemmed from Bo Nix's growing pains at quarterback. Now in his third year in the league, there are a lot of expectations placed on Nix's wide shoulders. The Broncos quarterback seems up for the task, and he's hoping that slowing the pace down and being less reliant on his legs will lead to greater heights for him and his team. “When you have a second-nature thought process and you know the play and you’re not thinking about operation, or emotion or a route concept or a handoff point, you can attack the defense in a little bit more of a strategic way,” Nix said, per Jeff Legwold of TSN. “So my eyes are up a little bit more. I just feel comfortable. I’m excited about the growth and know that there’s plenty left, but also I feel strongly where I’m at.” One of the criticisms around Nix's play was his penchant of leaving the pocket too early. Perhaps a product of wonky footwork and timing, the Broncos quarterback left a lot of meat on the bone multiple times this season. That on-the-fly creativity deserves to praised, as Payton did. However, Payton's offense demands that the quarterback be precise with his timing. “He does a very good job of avoiding [a] sack — the minus play — and because of that he’s very good with his progression.” Payton said. “He’s not someone who’s slow to progress and slow to process, it’s the other way … but I’d rather deal with that than a slow processor who’s getting sacked.” Nix will be raring to go after an unfortunate leg injury cost him a chance to play in the AFC Championship Game. It will be interesting to see how the Broncos quarterback's game has matured.