In Englewood, Colorado, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton came out in defense of quarterback Bo Nix’s mechanics, promising that spectacular plays will come. Payton pointed out that the biggest challenge for the offense right now is the lack of a defined identity, which is affecting Nix. The Broncos have suffered consecutive defeats in the final play against the Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Chargers. Nix’s performance has been under scrutiny due to the difficulties of the offense. Currently, he ranks 25th in QBR (41.8) and his completion percentage in tight spaces is 37.5%, tied for 16th. Nix was close to connecting on several important plays in the loss to the Chargers on Sunday, all due to overthrows, including one to Courtland Sutton in the final quarter that would likely have secured the victory. The Broncos also had seven possessions with a total of 9 or fewer yards and four possessions with 1 or fewer yards. When asked about Nix’s mechanics after three games, Payton encouraged him to “keep throwing”.
“He’s going to connect on a lot of those… There are times I’m sure when we sit down and watch the replay [there are things to fix],” Payton said. “But one of the things that’s a gift are his off-schedule throws, but you just want to be careful with how much you tell him. When you settle into certain plays, there’s a rhythm in the mechanics… But overall, I think [the ball] is coming out well.”
Sean PaytonPayton explained that the real difficulty for the Broncos lies in a broader perspective. The team ranks 27th in third-down conversions, 27th in average yards to advance on third down, 19th in explosive plays (runs of 10 or more yards and passes of 20 or more yards), and 19th in passing yards per game. In addition, with 14 penalties, the Broncos are one of the most penalized offenses in the league. Although they are ranked eighth in yards per carry per game (129.0), they are in 20th place in attempts. Payton indicated that it’s all part of a rhythm and an “identity” that the team has yet to find on offense. He also stated that it is the coaches’ responsibility to help the team establish it. The Broncos will face the Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) on Monday night at Empower Field at Mile High.“Ultimately, you want to go out there and connect on every single one,” Nix said of the missed big plays. “I haven’t played a game yet where I’ve connected on all of them. But I’m working towards that and I’m confident that one day I can go out there and do it. And that might be crazy on my part, but I really believe that.”
Bo Nix
