Broncos enjoying 'change of scenery' in serene West Virginia, but focus is on Jets

WEST SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — The Greenbrier Resort boasts nearly 70 different activities for guests to explore throughout its expansive, 11,000-acre grounds, and many of these options were open to Broncos players who wanted to explore them during their unique day off here Tuesday.

A sunny carriage ride “from a bygone era.” A beginner falconry class that allows you to “get up close and personal with majestic birds of prey.” Bunker tours. An escape room. Even a gnome-making workshop.

But John Franklin-Myers had a simpler plan.

“Sleep and eat,” the Broncos defensive end said of how he chose to use his off day. “I ate about 14 times yesterday. That’s about all I did was eat and eat some more.”

📍 West Virginia#DENvsNYJ pic.twitter.com/nimYmIFnVE

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 25, 2024

Other players walked around and explored seemingly never-ending property that is buttressed by trees that currently look like something out of a fall postcard. For others, there was billiards, bowling and … golf?

“I plead the fifth,” kicker Wil Lutz, one of the team’s avid golfers said when asked if that’s how he chose to spend his off day. “Beautiful course here, though.”

Quarterback Bo Nix said the five-day pit stop in West Virginia has brought a refreshing “change of scenery,” which includes breathtaking views of the surrounding Allegheny Mountains. The Broncos (1-2) arrived here Monday afternoon, fresh off a 26-7 dismantling of the previously unbeaten Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They will leave Friday for New Jersey ahead of their Week 4 matchup with the New York Jets (2-1).

By Wednesday, the Broncos were done craning their necks to take in the newness of their surroundings. The team left Denver 0-2 and now has a chance to return home with a .500 record and all the possibilities that would create with a long season still ahead. Reaching that goal means making the most of a unique week of practice.

“You want to keep a routine as much as possible and kind of do the same things that you have been doing,” said Nix, coming off the best start of his brief career. “At the same time, you have some room to hang out with the guys. You’re not at home, so you can treat it a little bit differently. Use your routine, but also kind of ad-lib at the same time, and enjoy each other’s company. You can do some things maybe you wouldn’t do at home. At the same time, rest and get ready for the game on Sunday.”

This is a familiar setting for Broncos coach Sean Payton. The Saints held training camp for three straight years at the Greenbrier during Payton’s tenure in New Orleans, from 2014 to 2016. He and Saints general manager Mickey Loomis helped the resort’s owner, current West Virginia governor Jim Justice, design the football facilities ahead of the Saints’ arrival in 2014.

The Broncos earlier this year requested the NFL schedule two of its four East Coast road trips in back-to-back weeks. Staying on this side of the country between two of those games could help reduce the travel time for players and help body acclimation to the two-time-zone change. The Broncos explored other possible facilities, including the Disney Sports complex outside Orlando, but landed on a return to the Greenbrier, where the Cleveland Browns held part of their training camp this season.

“Logistically, everything fits,” Payton said. “The facility, really the building is important. I remember bringing our field people and our chefs to make sure the grass and the food was up to speed. Then after they were here, you forget these guys do fields for a living. They’ve got four, five golf courses in the area. The fields were impeccable. … For the rain that they’ve had here for the last few days, the fields held up really good.”

Ultimately, Payton believed the Greenbrier to be an optimal place to focus on the Broncos’ significant task ahead. The Jets have a menacing pass rush that is tied with the Broncos for the best pressure rate in the league (44.7 percent). And they are playing a quarterback in Aaron Rodgers who hardly looks like a player turning 41 in a little more than two months.

Beamer Ball in West Virginia. 🏈

Great to have legendary @HokiesFB Coach Frank Beamer at Broncos practice today! pic.twitter.com/Mf3ZiEnMKH

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 25, 2024

“You feel like you’re seeing the quarterback we all remember,” Payton said of Rodgers. “He’s quick, the ball is out, he’s got great command of what they do — 180 penalties drawn with his hard count. Historically speaking, he’s one of the top quarterbacks we’ve ever seen, certainly in that area. He does a great job getting the plays they want to get to. You see the skill set that we all saw prior to the injury.”

The four-time MVP has thrown five touchdowns with one interception this season. He has completed 67.4 percent of his passes while posting a 103.1 passer rating. The numbers are eerily similar to the ones he posted during his Super Bowl-winning season in 2010 — when Nix was 10 years old.

“It’s pretty surreal,” the 24-year-old Broncos quarterback said. “I grew up watching him do all his cool plays for so long. Over time, I’ve watched a lot of his highlights. It’s crazy that I get to go out there and play against him. Really looking forward to meeting him for the first time. It’s hard to put into words that, on Sunday, you get to play a great like that. That’s what the NFL brings. That’s why it’s such a special game.”

Before he can get to a postgame greeting with Rodgers, Nix must navigate a Jets pass rush that sends heat from all angles. Even after trading Franklin-Myers to the Broncos and being unable to prevent a holdout with the star pass rusher they acquired in a previous deal with the Eagles, Haason Reddick, the Jets have brought havoc on quarterbacks to the tune of 14 sacks in three games. Much of the chaos coach Robert Saleh’s defense produces begins in the middle with Quinnen Williams.

“At that position where he’s playing, he’s been the best in the league at affecting the quarterback at defensive tackle — and you see it on tape,” Payton said.

As important as the win in Tampa Bay was for the Broncos, a victory against the heavily favored Jets would be a far more massive step forward. If they get it, the team will return to Denver praising their time spent in West Virginia.

“The best part of this sport is the locker room,” Lutz said. “When you can get this locker room tighter and this team tighter, I think you’ve got to take every opportunity you can to do that. What better place to do that?”