One of the common phrases Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton uses to describe the week-to-week is that the hay is never in the barn, meaning the work is always ongoing. That remains true as the Broncos wrapped up Friday’s final practice before they fly to Seattle for Sunday’s showdown against the Seahawks, where they know they’ll be playing in a loud environment.
Denver Broncos ready to play in loud environment in Seattle
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has been coaching long enough in the NFL to know that loud environments and hostile territory, especially on the road, are an element you have to prepare your team for. While the game and various elements have changed over the course of his coaching career, there are still ways to be effective when on the road.
“I think offenses have adjusted and they’re further along now than maybe 20 years ago,” Payton said. “There was a time they called a penalty on the home crowd because they were too loud. So the silent snap count, the shot gun, there’s a number of reasons for that. Yet still, I didn’t see any in last night’s game, but the tackles begin to get a little deeper, especially in a loud venue. So there are all those elements. The first offensive advantage in the game is when the start is, the snap count. So when that gets dissipated a little bit, neutralized, then you have those things that you have to prepare for. I think there’s probably four or five venues that are noticeably different and the other ones, maybe not as much. This certainly is one of them.”
Seattle is one of those places where the loudness of the stadium reverberates around the entire vicinity. I remember being at the season opener on Monday Night Football two years ago, and I’ve never been in a stadium that ever matched its loudness. Various Broncos players I’ve spoken to shared the same sentiment that Lumen Field is the loudest venue in all of the NFL.
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix will make his NFL regular season debut and his first start, making franchise history as the only true rookie QB that was drafted by the team itself to start Week 1. On top of that, he was also the first rookie captain on this team since 1967, and he’ll begin his NFL career in the league’s loudest stadium.
“I’m excited,” Nix said. “Seattle’s a good team. They have a good defense returning [and] a lot of good players with a new scheme. It’ll be interesting to see what they come out and play. I think they’re going to be very well coached, and they’re going to be talented. It’s going to be a hostile environment, but it will be fun. It’ll be a good first game.”
Nix isn’t a stranger to loud environments or hostile territory either, he saw plenty of that throughout his college career at Auburn and at Oregon. Having that experience should benefit him.
“It’s huge,” Nix said. “I’ve already been through several atmospheres. This could be different, but I think having been through that and understanding what a loud environment truly means, I think it’s really important. It’s all about communication. It’s all about being on the same page, keeping it simple and going out there and executing your job. When you do that, usually you can take some of the crowd out of it. It’s definitely going to be the whole game; it’s going to be loud. It’s going to be a great atmosphere.”
The table is set, the hay is in the barn, and the regular season is officially here. Sunday’s game between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks kicks off at 2:05 p.m. MT on CBS.
