Sean Payton doesn't want Broncos fans to know Bo Nix is basically cheap Russell Wilson

The Denver Broncos made a drastic decision last season, benching and eventually releasing Russell Wilson after parts of two seasons with the team. While the Broncos were set to take on an enormous cap hit from releasing Wilson, it was hard to blame them for making that decision based on how he played.

Bo Nix was drafted in the first round to take the reigns under center, and the Broncos have taken off with him as their starter. The team just won its fourth in a row to improve to 9-5 on the year. With a win on Thursday Night Football, they clinch a postseason berth.

With the Broncos playing as well as they are, Nix has been getting a ton of positive recognition, and to an extent, it's been deserved. While Nix might be exceeding expectations, he isn't exactly blowing Wilson's performance from last season out of the water.

Bo Nix isn't really the upgrade over Russell Wilson that Sean Payton, Broncos fans think he is

The numbers here speak for themselves. They're averaging less than one more point per game than they did last season, and their offense doesn't seem to be running as efficiently as it did with Wilson. The glaring difference, though, has absolutely nothing to do with Nix.

The biggest reason Denver is 9-5 is because of its defense. The Broncos went from one of the worst defenses in the NFL by virtually every metric to arguably the best in the sport. That shocking turnaround has this team in prime position to not only make the playoffs, but potentially steal a game once they get there.

Nix has played well as a rookie, don't get me wrong. He has completed nearly 64 percent of his passes and has almost double the amount of touchdowns (20) as he does interceptions (11). The fact that he's at this point compared to where he started off the season speaks to his improvement as the year has progressed.

Still, this offense isn't much better, if it is at all, than it was with Wilson. The defense is the biggest reason why the Broncos are where they are. As much as Sean Payton would love to take credit for the team's surprising record and pin it on Nix's development, they likely would've been where they are right now, even with Wilson under center. It's the defense that really deserves most of the attention and credit for their success.