Troy Franklin sat in his locker stall last week with an idea to spark a hot and cold Broncos deep ball.

Quarterback Bo Nix entered Week 11 against the Chiefs with a 71.6 rating on passes of at least 20 air yards (per Next Gen Stats), ranking No. 23 in the NFL. Nix also suffered a drop rate of 9.7% by receiving targets (via Pro Football Focus) as the fourth-highest percentage among league quarterbacks.

Franklin’s long-ball solution?

It’s not just about players. It’s about plays.

“As a whole, we can’t shoot ourselves in the foot, get behind the sticks and then force a big pass,” Franklin told The Denver Gazette. “For the most part, that’s what it is. I think if we’re on schedule and we have fair coverage to run a go ball — we’ll have a higher success rate for sure.”

Franklin called his shot.

The Broncos defeated the Chiefs, 22-19, with Next Gen Stats revealing Nix completed a season-high 171 yards on passes over 10 air yards, with none more important than a 32-yard strike to Franklin in the fourth quarter to set up the Wil Lutz game-winning field goal. Nix discussed his long ball to Franklin in a postgame news conference at Empower Field.

“We happened to get man-to-man, and with their safeties, they were kind of cheating with Courtland (Sutton). The next man option was Troy,” Nix explained. “Breaking the huddle, it was: ‘Hey … be ready for the football.’ Sure enough, they got man. Safety was in the middle of the field, he got up top (and) the guy’s back was turned. I threw it, and (Franklin) made a great adjustment to the football.”

Franklin told reporters in the postgame locker room: “With all of the ups and downs we go through, I think that is what our offense does a good job of, staying level-headed and not getting too high or too low.”

Did Bo Nix rediscover his deep ball entering the bye week? Or did the Broncos simply exploit a lesser Kansas City defense on their quest to win the AFC West? The Denver Gazette sought answers from ex-Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer.

“It’s a delicate dance,” Plummer said in a recent phone interview. “You’ve got to make sure you’re taking those shots.”

Plummer played in 10 NFL seasons and four with the Broncos, including a Pro Bowl selection for his standout 2005 season. Plummer is now co-owner of the company Umbo — offering food and supplements using functional mushrooms — in addition to his role as a Broncos analyst for Guerilla Sports.

Plummer does his best to provide levity and humor to his just-for-fun media role. But he’s not afraid to provide constructive criticism, either, as a former NFL quarterback. Plummer made this very clear: Nix must let it rip.

“You have to call a deep ball three or four times a game. Whether it’s complete or not, there are other great things that can happen. You’re giving that (defensive back) a scare, so he’s on skates, and it should open up the short-to-intermediate (passing) game,” Plummer said. “When you complete them, they’re big plays and they’re exciting. If you don’t, the worst thing that we’ve seen more often than not is Bo overthrowing them. … I think what we’ll see in the next year is more anticipation. Go watch Bernie Kosar and Doug Flutie play. They weren’t ripping bullets every single time. They were throwing balls and you’re shaking your head: ‘Where the hell are they throwing?’

“Then a guy is breaking open.”

Some common denominators when Nix misses targets thrown deep? Erratic footwork, escaping the pocket early, and not allowing downfield routes to fully develop are good places to start. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi recently explained how a quarterback finds success under pressure.

“I can anticipate this route is about to come open, so I’m going to stay in my base and climb,” Lombardi said. “Versus: ‘Man, I don’t know where I’m going with this ball, and I’ve got to start moving.’”

Nix showcased his ability to hang tough in the pocket and deliver on-target passes against the Chiefs.

“I thought Bo did a much better job in the pocket last week, where he’s been flushing to the right way too soon and too often,” Plummer said. “That’s a deeper disaster if you’re a quarterback, and you start flushing right too often, they’ll funnel you there and then you’re stuck. … More often than not, you’re going to get yourself in trouble. I see him getting coached in all the things that I feel like he needs to improve. That’s a sign that this coaching staff knows their stuff.”

Plummer recalls playing for the Broncos with an ultimate deep ball weapon in wide receiver Rod Smith. Plummer had the freedom to change his route at the line of scrimmage if he saw favorable man-to-man coverage. Plummer said: “I could point to the ground and Rod could run a go route.” Smith mostly took care of the rest.

Nix must find a similar chemistry with a mix of targets that Plummer believes can improve long ball success in Denver.

“You have to go deep. Especially with these guys that we’ve got,” Plummer said. “Franklin has got speed. I would throw the deep ball to (Pat) Bryant knowing 100 percent that he would go get it or not let the other guy get it. And Courtland Sutton is a beast. I’m hoping to see them throw more fade routes down at the goal line when it’s one-on-one.

“Just let him go up and get it.”