The Denver Broncos have not had a strong start to the 2024 NFL season. Denver has started 0-2 and while they have played each opponent tightly, they have no been able to get their first win. One NFL writer believes that head coach Sean Payton could be a reason for the team's recent struggles.
Oliver Connolly believes that Sean Payton is not running an innovative offense in Denver, despite being regarded as an offensive genius. Connolly points out that multiple advanced metrics have Denver as one of the worst teams in the NFL, better than only the crumbling Carolina Panthers.
“We have to start really looking at who we are asking to do what,” Payton said on Sunday, per The Guardian. “What scheme fits our players? What scheme fits our quarterback?”
As Connolly points out, this is not a good answer from a coach who should have all the answers. Moreover, with so many questions left unanswered it is concerning to see a rookie QB like Bo Nix thrown into the fire. If the head coach doesn't know who should do what, or what scheme to run, then how should the rookie QB be expected to succeed?
It is especially rough to watch moments like the following from Sunday's game. Nix enters the huddle and rattles off a long playcall. Everyone looked confused after that and the Broncos were forced to call a timeout to get themselves sorted.
The Broncos need to turn things around in a hurry, or else the rest of the season will be doomed.
Denver travels to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers in Week 3. That is no easy matchup for Bo Nix and friends.
Broncos QB Bo Nix explains how he handles when teammates make mistakes
If nothing else, Bo Nix is a great teammate.
Here is how the rookie QB answered a question about how he responds when his teammates drop passes.
“When I miss a pass, they don't come up and harp on me,” Nix said in a press conference, via Andrew Mason. “So I think I gotta treat them the same exact way. And, yeah, we're professionals, and we have a high standard, but we're allowed to mess up, too. And we make mistakes.”
Nix was also complimentary of his teammates' work ethic in practice.
“But those guys, I see 'em work every day. I see 'em, you know, continuously show up, make plays in practice, make plays in games. So I'm not gonna get too uptight about one play,” Nix added. “And now if there's something that I can do to help them, I'm definitely always there for them.”
Despite all of this, the team is in rough shape. Nix admits that everyone, himself included, have plenty of work to do before Denver fans will be happy.
“But I definitely think it's a work in progress,” Nix continued. “And we–all 11 of us on offense–have things we can improve on. And sometimes a drop is seen on national television, but you didn't see the inaccurate throw or you didn't see somebody that might have messed up within the play. So, sometimes that is made bigger than what it is. I think it's just a mistake that everybody makes, and we just got to continue to fix 0ur mistakes.”
Broncos fans can at least hang their hats on the fact that Bo Nix is incredibly easy to root for.
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