Denver Broncos Head coach Sean Payton felt rookie quarterback Bo Nix “gave us a chance” in Sunday’s season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, taking the blame away from his hand-picked rookie and directing criticism to other areas of the offense responsible for the 20-26 loss.
“Our defense was average at best and I believe that,” Payton told reporters after the game. “At one point in the game, I came to the bench and talked to the receivers and said, ‘Listen, let’s go, you know?’ I don’t know how many drops we had, but, man, let’s help this guy out.”
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Nix, the most experienced college quarterback of all time, had a tough task in his first career start at one of the NFL’s most demanding venues – Lumen Field, the site of Denver’s Week 1 2022 loss with Russell Wilson at quarterback.
After a largely flawless preseason, Nix completed 26 of 42 passes for 138 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions and two sacks. He posted a passer rating of 47.5 and a QBR of 30.1.
It’s debatable, but the 12th pick in April’s draft set new league records for fewest passing yards with 25+ completed passes and fewest yards per pass attempt (3.3) with at least 26 passes in a single game.
“They pressured us all game,” Nix said of the Seahawks. “We were able to move the ball at the end, but yeah, I thought they had good team speed. They got the ball back. They made tackles in the open field, and that’s usually the sign of a good defense. So hats off to them.”
Nix played like a rookie and Seattle’s defense actually deserves a lot. Both are undeniable. But his supporting players also gave the 24-year-old little: The offensive line could not generate consistent pressure, the running game was almost nonexistent and the wide receivers could not pull away.
The Broncos made 5 of 18 third downs, 1 of 4 in the red zone and managed six consecutive three-and-out drives. Nix finished the game as the team’s leading runner (35 yards). And the real reason: Payton’s horizontal plays were not very inventive and he was never able to challenge the Seahawks’ secondary beyond the sticks.
“We have to get better and I have to get better,” Payton admitted. “What was frustrating was our offensive efficiency on distance and down on first and second down. There were too many third downs and eight or more.”
Nix takes responsibility for his performance, but the responsibility ultimately lies with Payton, who has no problem throwing himself on the proverbial sword if it means his signaler remains unharmed.
“Whenever we have a plan like that and we don’t execute it or we don’t play the ball as well, I have to look at the reasons why. This is the reason,” Payton said.
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