Bo Nix isn’t running from the Broncos’ offensive growing pains. He’s leaning into them.
After Denver’s 24-14 loss in San Francisco dropped the Broncos to 2-2, the same issues that have followed this offense all month showed up again: slow starts, stretches of inconsistency and no late surge to rescue the day. This time, the Broncos tried to mount a rally against one of the league’s best defenses, and each push was snuffed out.
It was the fourth straight week that Denver’s offense looked like a unit still figuring out how to function with first-time offensive coordinator Davis Webb and Nix at quarterback. But after the game, Nix made it clear he’s not questioning the direction.
“I think when you look at the overall landscape, we’ve played four of the top teams in the league, Nix said. ”And not easy for a first-time OC, as young as he is, to go against some of the, quite frankly, the best teams in the league."
The numbers back up the uneven start. Heading into Week 4, the Broncos were averaging 275 yards per game, near the bottom of the league. Against San Francisco, they nudged past that mark with 296 total yards, but it wasn’t enough to change the result.
Nix put the responsibility on the players as much as anyone else. In his view, Webb is trying to put the offense in position to succeed, and the group around him has to do a better job of meeting him there.
“I think it’s just overall something that we got to continue to help him and execute,” Nix said.
“And you know, as players, got to put him in a better spot. You know, it’s hard.
Like he says all the time, like any play caller, third and long, not many plays on that. You know, part of the sheet, especially when you’re in it over and over and over and over and over in the game.
You run all those plays. You got to figure out which ones you want to come back to.
They’ve already seen them, so now you got to make adjustments. And so we’re just not making it easy on him by any means right now.
So we just got to help him.”
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Tillman already has a visit to Auburn lined up for Oct. 24, a date that should offer the staff a chance to make a strong impression in person. He has shown interest in Auburns defensive culture and atmosphere, which is exactly the kind of feedback the Tigers want to hear as they try to stay competitive in a battle that figures to only get bigger from here. [Read more 🡒]
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Auburns Tennessee Loss Exposed A Problem Up Front Fans Feared
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The PFF breakdown also offered a closer look at how individual players fared in the matchup, with Donovan Haslam, Mark Matthews, David Sanders Jr. and Dejuan Lane all evaluated for their roles. On the other side, Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre earned strong marks for his efficient work after replacing Faizon Brandon, which only added to Auburns frustration. For a team trying to steady itself, the concern is not just the result in Knoxville, but what it says about how difficult the Tigers are becoming to trust where the trenches decide games. [Read more 🡒]