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Jeff Legwold, ESPN Senior WriterSep 8, 2024, 09:57 PM ET
- Jeff Legwold is a senior writer who covers the Denver Broncos and the NFL at ESPN. Jeff has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years, joining ESPN in 2013. He also assists with NFL draft coverage, including his annual top 100 prospects. Jeff has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999. He has attended every scouting combine since 1987.
SEATTLE — It was not the career debut Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix either envisioned or wanted Sunday, but Denver coach Sean Payton said Nix didn’t get nearly enough help from his teammates or his coaches to make it any better.
Nix, who was the No. 12 pick in April’s draft by the Broncos, finished the 26-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field at 26-of-42 passing for 138 yards and two interceptions. He also was sacked twice and had at least two other potential picks dropped by Seattle defenders.
But Payton said there was plenty of blame to go around for the Broncos.
“He gave us a chance,” Payton said. “I mean, our protection was average, at best. … At one point in the game, I talked to the receivers, ‘Hey, let’s go.’ I don’t know how many drops we had, but man, let’s help this guy.”
Payton, who had said throughout the preseason a young quarterback’s best “allies” were a good run game and a good defense, was particularly troubled by the Broncos’ run game Sunday. On paper, the 25 carries for 99 yards wasn’t too bad. But remove Nix’s 35 yards rushing on scrambles (including a 4-yard run for Denver’s only offensive touchdown in the game) and the Broncos ran the ball 20 times for 64 yards on the other carries.
The top two Broncos running backs — Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin — had eight carries for 23 yards and 10 carries for 27 yards, respectively. And rookie back Audric Estime fumbled on one of his two carries, and the Broncos recovered.
“For any quarterback playing, we’ve got to be more effective running the football,” Payton said. “Not nearly good enough … Us as coaches, we’ve got to evaluate the run plan and why it wasn’t as effective as we’d like … It’s going to be hard playing quarterback, period, if that’s the best we can do running the ball.”
The result was Nix’s 42 pass attempts were more than Payton said he wanted the rookie to have in the game. Overall, the Broncos finished with 231 net yards on offense and were 5-of-18 on third down.
Payton even tossed himself on the pile: “I have to be better.”
“It was a challenge. It was a tough day. They didn’t make it easy on us, for sure,” Nix said. ” It’s tough. You’ve got to give them credit, but we battled, we fought.”
Asked if he was nervous for his first NFL start, Nix paused briefly and said: “Uh, no.”
It all came on a day when the Broncos’ defense had an interception by linebacker Alex Singleton on Seattle’s second play from scrimmage, forced two safeties in the first half and recovered a fumble on special teams deep in Seahawks territory.
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However, the Broncos’ offense turned the two turnovers into just two field goals despite having the ball on the Seahawks’ 20-yard line and the 9-yard line to start those drives. The Broncos still led 10-9 at halftime.
Seattle rushed for 90 yards in the second half as the Seahawks cobbled together two touchdown drives for a 26-13 lead deep into the fourth quarter.
The Broncos, on the 4-yard scramble by Nix, narrowed the deficit to 26-20 with 2 minutes, 9 seconds to play, but they did not get the ball back.
Payton, who had named Nix the starter on Aug. 21, said he believed Nix was ready going in and that the Broncos’ final drive was proof the rookie was still engaged at game’s end despite the struggles.
“He seemed calm, poised. I felt he was very comfortable and ready,” Payton said. “We have to be better around him. We’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be better.”
Nix offered his perspective.
“As poorly as we did, I think we gave ourselves a chance to win at the end,” he said. “Our defense and special teams played incredible. They really kept us in the game. They gave us hope, they battled … The balls are on the ground; you’ve got to evaluate how you can change it … You’re not going to hit them all.”
Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds said he was impressed with Nix’s efforts.
“I love that,” he said. “A quarterback that continued to fight.”
Nix is the first rookie captain for the Broncos since Hall of Fame running back Floyd Little in 1967. And Nix was the first rookie quarterback to start as season opener for Denver since John Elway in 1983.
His task doesn’t get much easier in Week 2, however, given the Broncos’ home opener next Sunday is against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who sacked Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins twice and intercepted him a couple of times in their opening win.
