Bo Nix’s opening-night stumble against the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t come out of nowhere. For the Denver Broncos, a rough September has become part of the script, and if history is any guide, it doesn’t have to define the rest of the season.
That’s the encouraging part for Denver after a blowout loss in Kansas City. The Broncos have 16 games left to sort things out, and it’s not hard to picture this team finding its footing and sitting around 8-3 after 11 games.
Sean Payton’s Broncos have opened slowly in each of his seasons so far, starting 0-3 in 2023, 0-2 in 2024 and 1-2 in 2025. That kind of sluggish start has shown up for Payton teams before, going all the way back to his New Orleans days.
Nix’s numbers tell a similar story. He’s had his share of uneven September football, but the rest of the calendar looks a lot different.
In September, Nix has gone 4-5, completing 190 of 303 passes for 1,652 yards with 12 total touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 74.6 passer rating. From there, the production climbs.
In October, he’s 7-1 with 171 completions on 271 attempts for 1,812 yards, 19 total touchdowns, two interceptions and a 97.9 passer rating. November has been steadier than September as well, with a 6-2 record, 181 completions on 285 attempts, 1,957 yards, 12 total touchdowns, five interceptions and a 90.3 passer rating. Then come December and January, when Nix has gone 7-3 with 239 completions on 348 attempts, 2,416 yards, 21 total touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 96.9 passer rating.
The jump from September to October is the clearest sign. Nix’s passer rating rises by more than 20 points once the calendar flips. Since the start of 2024, the Broncos have won only 44.4 percent of their September games, but in every other month Nix and Denver are 20-6, a .769 winning percentage.
That kind of split matters because it suggests the slow starts aren’t the whole story. If the Broncos are going to have a soft month, September is the one you’d choose. What would be far worse is the opposite: a team that fades late and tries to hang on at the end.
Nix’s monthly numbers also support the idea that he settles in when the pressure rises. The article points to a “gamer” mindset, and the broader trend backs that up. He’s not flawless, and he should take some blame for the Week 1 loss, but the numbers say he usually gets sharper as the season moves along.
That matters for 2026, too, because the schedule appears to ease up starting with the October 25 showdown against the Arizona Cardinals. The setup gives Denver a real chance to build momentum once the season gets rolling. And if the Broncos can at least split their first six games and reach 3-3 before that Cardinals game, a run after that becomes a realistic path.
In Other News...
Justin Simmons Pulled The Broncos Into A Messy NFL Media Debate
Justin Simmons has dragged the Broncos into an awkward NFL media conversation by raising a pointed question about how stories get covered and why some situations draw far more attention than others. Simmons publicly wondered why the focus has landed on Broncos linebacker Jonathan Coopers domestic violence case while what he viewed as a different off-field controversy involving Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and former NFL reporter Dianna Russini has not drawn the same level of scrutiny.
Vrabel was caught up in an offseason mess after photos of him and Russini at an adults-only resort surfaced, an episode that led to Russinis resignation and an internal investigation by The Athletic. The debate now sits in the background of a Patriots team that already has football problems after dropping its Week 1 game to Seattle, with Drake Maye throwing three interceptions, but Simmons comments have made clear that the Broncos are not looking at this as just another league-wide media skirmish. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Reignited An NFL Double Standard Debate Fans Know Well
During ESPNs Monday Night Football broadcast of the Broncos-Chiefs game, sideline reporter Laura Rutledge noted that Denver defender Jonathon Cooper was absent because he had been placed on the commissioners exempt list following domestic violence charges. The mention put a sensitive off-field issue squarely into the middle of a prime-time NFL telecast, and it immediately became more than a routine injury-or-status update for viewers following the Broncos.
Former Broncos safety Justin Simmons took aim at ESPN for bringing Coopers legal situation into the game coverage, and the reaction quickly spread into a wider conversation among former players and fans. The episode has revived a familiar debate about where broadcast reporters should draw the line when a players controversy becomes part of the nights storyline, especially when the game itself is supposed to be the focus. [Read more 🡒]
Patrick Surtain's Blunt Take Sums Up Denver's Early Reality Check
Denvers season opened with a jolt, and not the kind the Broncos were hoping for. An early interception briefly hinted at a fast start, but the offense stalled from there and the loss quickly turned into a reminder that preseason optimism only matters once the games count. Under Sean Payton, the Broncos expected a sharper launch than what showed up in Week 1, making the gap between projections and reality feel especially stark.
Patrick Surtain II didnt sugarcoat it afterward, saying the team needed a serving of humble pie. It was the kind of blunt assessment that tends to land harder because it comes from one of the rosters most respected voices, and it leaves Denver with an early test of response. The talent is there, the expectations remain high, and now the Broncos have to prove this was just a stumble rather than the first sign of a longer adjustment. [Read more 🡒]