The quarterback of the Denver Broncos, Bo Nix, has the backing of his teammates, despite a recent spat with his coach. And one of the toughest aspects of the NFL is the tendency for overreactions, including the suggestion that the Broncos' loss to the Chargers proves Nix isn’t the guy in Denver.
However, another thing about the NFL is the standard. And if players don’t meet the standard in a given week, they open themselves up to a harsh critique. It’s part of the job. And Nix didn't live up to the standard with his performance against the Chargers.
Justin Herbert hit Keenan Allen for a tying score, and then led the Chargers to a game-ending 43-yard field goal in a 23-20 final on Sunday. The Broncos fell to 1-2, and that brings questions to Nix’s doorstep.
Where has Broncos QB Bo Nix fallen short?
There were winnable plays that Nix missed in this game. In particular, he overthrew Marvin Mims Jr. on a flea-flicker that should have been a score in the third quarter. Late in the game, with the score tied at 20-20, Nix overthrew Courtland Sutton.
It turned out to be a game-changer, according to Sports Illustrated.
“The route at the end is kind of like a seam—almost a double move,” head coach Sean Patyon said. “And then, look, the third-and-long flea-flicker was close. So sometimes, if it’s a double move, your eyes can betray you a little bit. But I thought he’s throwing it real accurately, putting the ball in good places. Protecting it.”
The numbers on Sunday don’t heavily support Nix being post-game protected by Payton. He finished 14 of 23 for 153 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
But Payton doesn’t want to reel in Nix. He wants him to turn it loose.
“No, keep slinging it,” Payton said. “There’s no conversation. Keep slinging it. The last thing you want is to … I mean, those are, man, almost spot-on, so yeah.”
Running back J.K. Dobbins expressed his support for Nix, according to a post on X by Zac Stevens.
“He played a great game,” Dobbins said. “I got his back, we got his back. He's a great quarterback, and we lost this game as a team. It's not on him. You know, guys got to make more plays for him.”
Broncos fans need to understand where they are
Look around the NFL. Elite quarterbacks are few. Quality starting quarterbacks beyond the elite are hard to find. Nix proved last year that he belongs in the NFL. As a rookie, he completed 66.3% of his passes with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Those are awesome numbers, and he finished No. 3 in the offensive rookie of the year voting.
To suggest three games into the 2025 season that he has proven he’s not the guy in Denver flies in the face of common sense. What are the Broncos going to do? Are they going to blow it up and draft a first-round quarterback in the 2026 season?
Thinking that way makes no sense. This is still a playoff-caliber team. Nix guided the team to the playoffs as a rookie.
There’s a very good chance the Broncos can win six of their next seven games. They have the banged-up Bengals, Jets, Giants, Cowboys, Texans, and Raiders. The only team they wouldn’t be favored against would be the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles. So, they’re 1-2 right now, but could be 7-3 before they hit a meatier part of their schedule.
Who is going to be casting blame on Nix if the Broncos get to 7-3 and he’s playing even marginally well?
Listen to the Broncos' locker room
Nix hasn’t lost command of the offense or the locker room. He has completed 64.2% of his passes with five touchdowns and three interceptions. But Sutton said it’s not about the way Nix has been playing, according to denverpost.com.
“I always tell Bo, it’s never always on him,” Sutton said. “It’s a full team effort. None of us go out there and play a perfect game. And, I don’t want him to ever feel the pressure of needing to be perfect for us to go out there and be successful. We all have our hand in the pot.”
Right tackle Mike McGlinchey also stood up for Nix.
“He’s a phenomenal leader and player for our football team,” McGlinchey said. “I think anybody who starts saying another narrative is crazy. We all have to help him be better — from the plan, from execution, from everything. To say that because he missed a couple throws, he lost that game — I don’t buy that at all.”
Bo Nix understands he must improve
Nix didn’t shy away from the responsibility of making enough plays to win the game, according to a post on X by the Denver Broncos via atozsports.com.
“Felt very similar, felt like we kept going backwards,” Nix said. “We had no explosives when we needed them, had the ball with a chance. That drive just felt like we didn’t do anything. Felt like we just kept going backwards and having long field positions and long third downs. In this league, it’s not going to cut it.”
And Nix acknowledged the team must do better with the penalties.
“Honestly, not sure exactly,” Nix said. “Not really paying attention to even what they are. Just know we’re going backwards. Our coaches will handle that. I just know, an offside on the offense, never really knew that was possible, to be honest with you. Those things, we just got to fix. Accountability is on us that we’ll fix them; we just can’t have that happen.”
