On Nix’s longest run of the season, it originated from a direct snap and he sprinted around the end — the type of play you see under Friday night lights across the country. Nix is on pace to rush for 615 yards this season, leaving him within reach of Tim Tebow’s franchise record of 660 set in 2011.

Some hallmarks of Payton's tenure with the Saints have been established in Denver, but the path to sustained success has to look different.