Bill Parcells is anticipated to provide guidance to Sean Payton, head coach of the Denver Broncos, following the severe ankle injury sustained by quarterback Bo Nix. This injury occurred late in the Broncos” dramatic 33-30 overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, as reported by ESPN”s Sal Paolantonio.
Nix suffered a fractured right ankle during the game and is scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday. Payton expressed his expectation of receiving advice from Parcells soon. Payton previously worked under Parcells as both an assistant coach and quarterbacks coach with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2005.
Parcells understands the challenges Payton faces, recalling how backup quarterback Jeff Hostetler led the New York Giants to victory in Super Bowl XXV against the Bills after taking over for an injured Phil Simms. Paolantonio noted, “He”ll probably hear from his mentor, Bill Parcells, who will talk to him about how the New York Giants had to play with Jeff Hostetler in the Super Bowl when Phil Simms got hurt.”
Payton is optimistic about his team”s strength and believes that they can navigate this setback. Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, a fourth-round pick from Auburn in 2019, will start in the upcoming AFC Championship Game against either the New England Patriots or the Houston Texans. Stidham has not thrown a pass this season, whereas Nix has had a stellar year, throwing for 3,931 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
After the game against the Bills, Payton congratulated Nix for his efforts in setting up the game-winning field goal during overtime. It was at that moment that Nix informed his coach of the unfortunate injury. X-rays confirmed the fracture, but Payton mentioned that Nix remained in “high spirits” despite the news.
Meanwhile, one can only speculate about the emotions of Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who was visibly upset after the loss and now faces uncertainty about how his team would fare in the AFC Championship without Nix on the field.
