The Big M is hard to explain.

Oh, you thought I was talking about “Momentum”?

Well, that too.

But perhaps more difficult to comprehend is the Big M that defined the Broncos for most of yesterday’s Mile High Magic (another big M), Miraculous (and another) win over the New York Giants.

I’m talking about Missing.

No, not Missing field goals (two for the Giants, to be exact, the first time an NFL kicker has missed two extra points in 40 years). Just Missing missing… Vanished. Gone. Sayonara.

For three quarters, the Broncos were Missing like a kid on a Milk carton.

At the risk of raining on a parade so fun and so rare – in 3,667 NFL games in which a team trailed by 18 or more with 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter, only two times has that team come back to win (yesterday’s Broncos, and Peyton Manning’s Colts who beat the Buccs in 2003) – Denver’s latest Mile High Miracle should not overshadow the fact that the Sean Payton and Bo Nix were downright awful for three full quarters.

Talk about the Big M? They were M.i.a.

After a three-play “drive” that concluded with a punt from the Broncos 11-yards line, with 6:15 left in the third quarter, Nix – the future of the franchise at quarterback – and Payton – an offensive mastermind, or so we’ve been told – had guided the Broncos O to 116 total yards on 42 plays. That’s just 2.76 yards per play. Up to that point, they somehow pieced together seven first downs, but in half of their possessions, they failed to make a single first down. Perhaps worse yet, in their eight possessions through three quarters, Denver only advanced past midfield once.

On that particular drive, a second-quarter, 13-play, 64-yard march that ended with a thud (quite literally) at the Giants 1-yard line, the Broncos failed to put points on the boards despite being 1st-and-goal from the Giants 5-yard line. Payton’s play calling went something like this: J.K. Dobbins off tackle left, good for three yards; Nix incomplete pass to left tackle (huh?) Garett Bolles; Nix incomplete to Troy Franklin; Nix quick toss to Sutton who was stood up at the 1 in dramatic fashion.

Run. Pass. Pass. Pass.

Payton just can’t help himself. On the day, despite being nearly completely inept on offense up until the 4th quarter, Dobbins was the Broncos best offensive player. On 14 carries, he powered his way to 81 yards. Why can’t the Broncos get anything going behind production like that?

Paging Coach Payton? Paging Sean Payton?

Where is the coach in quarters one through three?

Or is it Bo Nix?

The second-year quarterback was nothing short of amazing. For the first time ever, an NFL quarterback threw for two touchdowns and ran for two all in the same quarter. He was incredible in the fourth quarter.

But, up until then, he looked like Teddy Bridgewater “Lite.”

It’s a strange combination that Payton and Nix have going for three quarters, or so it seems the last two weeks. The coach and QB combo looks either so conservative, or so incapable, that rarely does a passing play go further than the line of scrimmage. And when it does, there’s either little chance for run-after-catch yards – or – a deep desperation throw that doesn’t get caught.

It was maddening.

Is Bo Nix a QUARTERback? As in just one quarter?

His coach might be a QUARTER coach, too.

Remember that season when Gary Kubiak was reluctant to let Peyton Manning do Peyton Manning things until it was absolutely necessary from time to time? That’s what every week feels like with Payton and Nix. By no means is Nix Manning-esque just yet (or maybe ever), but it does feel like he’s wearing shackles for too much of any given game.

But when the shackles are off and the coach gets creative?

Holy cow, what a football team! At least for a quarter!

The play call that utilized Nix’s legs, a quarterback sweep left that saw Garett Bolles take out two Giants as Nix scampered for 18-yards and across the goal line to put the Broncos up 4 with 1:51? Wow. Just wow. It was best both coach and quarterback can offer.

Could it be – would it be – possible to see that for, oh, say, a quarter or two more?

If the Broncos play like they did in the fourth, they’re as good as any team in the NFL.

If they play like the first three, Sean Payton’s Super Bowl dreams are silly at best.