The Broncos are 3-2 again, but the record doesn’t tell the whole story. Denver’s defense hasn’t been as good at getting after the quarterback, and the offense has struggled to do much of anything consistently. In that kind of mess, the quarterback usually ends up taking the heat, and Bo Nix has been no exception.
Nix hasn’t been at his best, but he also hasn’t been the only problem on offense. Even so, questions have started to circle around whether his uneven play is tied to something mental - the push and pull between playing aggressively and protecting the football. On Tuesday, Nix addressed that tension directly.
“Honestly, really and truly, the biggest battle right now is like, you want to be aggressive, want to be aggressive, want to be aggressive, and then you see stats and you're like, 'Well, this team is causing the most turnovers in the league,' and then you're…”
That mindset fits a quarterback who has generally done a strong job avoiding sacks and limiting negative plays. Nix has usually been among the better quarterbacks at taking care of himself and the ball.
The problem is that leaning too far into caution can flatten the offense, and that’s part of what seems to be happening now. He’s not testing defenses as often downfield, and he’s not scrambling with the same frequency either.
Ross Tucker pointed out during the Broncos’ Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Chargers that opponents have been leaning on two-high shell looks against Denver. The goal is obvious: take away the explosive passing game. Defenses are doing that in part because the Broncos haven’t shown they can run the ball effectively, so teams are essentially forcing Denver to prove it can beat them on the ground before they open things up elsewhere.
That’s a big reason Nix has been less aggressive. Defenses are giving him looks that make throwing deep harder, and that matters. But it’s also fair to say he’s missed some open receivers downfield along the way.
There have been moments this season, and throughout much of last year, when Nix has raised his aggression late in games once the situation demanded it. So this doesn’t look like an inability issue. It looks more like a quarterback trying to thread a difficult mental needle right now.
There may not be a clean fix. The best place to start, though, is the run game. If Denver can establish it, defenses will have to commit more bodies to the box, and that should create more room for explosive plays on the back end.
Getting Nix going is part of that too, especially after the Broncos spent a pretty penny to bring him in. And with a lot of season still ahead, Denver sitting at 3-2 - and with a real shot at 4-2 - leaves plenty of room for this offense to start looking more like last year’s version in the weeks ahead.
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The Broncos offensive issues keep piling up, and the latest rough showing against the Chargers only added to the unease around a unit that has been too inconsistent for comfort. Bo Nix has been part of that concern throughout the season, with his play swinging from drive to drive, while Wil Lutz and RJ Harvey have also had their own stretches that have left Denver searching for steadier production.
Jaylen Waddles recent form has been another layer to watch, especially because the drops and the frustration around him have become harder to overlook outside of the Rams game. For a team trying to find any sense of rhythm on offense, the bigger question now is whether these are isolated slumps or signs of something more troubling taking hold. [Read more 🡒]
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Paytons message has been consistent: be more aggressive and let it rip. For Denver, that is the real hinge point now, because the Broncos need to know whether Nix can grow from a steady starter into the kind of quarterback who changes defenses rather than simply works around them. The wider AFC West picture only adds to the pressure, with teams around the division always looking for ways to upgrade and force answers, which makes Denvers own answer at quarterback feel even more important. [Read more 🡒]
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Denver's latest shift on the offensive side adds another layer to watch, especially against a Seahawks team that has been dealing with turnovers from quarterback Sam Darnold. If the Broncos are going to make this look like a step forward, they will need cleaner production than they have shown so far, even as bettors scan the board for touchdown options like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Evan Engram and Emanuel Wilson. [Read more 🡒]