On the night the Saints honored quarterback Drew Brees, the quarterback Sean Payton hopes to mold into a player on Brees’ level matched the level John Elway set more than four decades ago.

With four wins in seven starts, Bo Nix tied the Broncos’ franchise record for most wins by a rookie quarterback in a season. Drew Lock reached that point in 2019.

“It means a lot,” Nix told reporters after the 33-10 win over the Saints. “You’re talking about one of the greats who ever did this at our organization. It means a lot. You are in good company. I’m not done yet. We still have a lot to look forward to, so I certainly don’t want to stop there. We are going to keep getting better as a team. I’m going to continue to grow and learn as a player. Hopefully we will continue to achieve victories in this way.”

In 1983, Elway earned his fourth win in Week 15, finishing the season with a 4–7 record as a starter. Lock went 4-1 in five starts five years ago.

Nix still has 10 chances to pass Elway and Lock. The question right now is not whether he will; the question is to what extent will he separate himself from them?

Then the Panthers. That gives Nix a great chance to achieve his fifth victory. (After that, things get a little tougher, with games against the Ravens, Chiefs and Falcons.)

After an 0-2 start, the Broncos have won four of five games. A suffocating defense has helped. But Nix has shown improvement. He completed 16 of 26 passes last night, for 164 yards. He also gained 75 yards on the ground on 10 attempts.

He still has a long way to go to perform like Brees as a very. However, Nix is ​​already winning, as is Elway as a rookie. And things can only get better from here as the Broncos force themselves into the playoff race in the AFC.