Sean Payton Takes Responsibility After Bo Nix Debut
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – After an inaugural game where Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw two interceptions and lost his first fumble since 2021, when he played at Auburn, coach Sean Payton took time on Wednesday to redirect any criticism.
“I don’t know how many games I’ve coached, but that’s one of those where I walked off thinking, ‘Man, I’ve got to be a lot better,'” Payton said on Wednesday. “… If you’re not careful, the game can end and you’re already thinking about the next one, and you haven’t really… properly analyzed. We’re really trying to pay attention to that.”
Sean Payton
Payton explained that he has reevaluated the game plan from the 20-12 victory over the Tennessee Titans and the decisions he gave to Nix in various situations. In addition to the three turnovers, Nix completed 25 of 40 passes for 176 yards.Denver trailed 12-10 at the start of the third quarter. Nix had attempted 22 passes by halftime, while the Broncos’ running backs had only seven carries for 24 yards in the first half.
“If you look at the distance and the progress, the marks, some of the plays, from the perspective of time, it’s more about some of the first plays, in the first half,” Payton commented. “And it’s about polishing some of the details.”
“You want to go out and score points,” Nix said. “… I know I can be much better.”
Including a fumble on special teams, the Broncos had four turnovers in the game.
Payton pointed out that Denver was the only NFL team that won in Week 1 despite losing the turnover battle. The Titans had five possessions that started inside the Broncos’ 50-yard line and were limited to just three field goals.
Nix said he felt he could have been too aggressive on each of the interceptions, but that he wanted to make sure to walk “the thin line” between taking care of the ball with a defense like the Broncos’ and still looking for explosive plays on offense.
“It’s not about the stats, it’s not about perfection, or external things,” Nix said. “It’s about a standard I have for myself… With our defense, we can definitely make sure, at times, to give them great field position and we’ll get the ball back and we can keep working.”
Denver’s next game is against the Colts (1-0), who forced three turnovers in a 33-8 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
Nix commented that he always appreciates Payton’s support, but that, ultimately, turnovers and mistakes are something he must take responsibility for.
“Ultimately, you have the ball. You have the final say on where it goes,” Nix said. “… It’s good to know that (Payton) is going to do everything he can to be the best for this team.”
