Sean Payton isn’t losing sleep over the Broncos’ offense, even with Bo Nix taking plenty of heat after Denver’s 17-14 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks.
The Broncos improved to 4-2 by surviving a game that looked exactly like what Payton wanted: low-risk football, early points and no giveaways. Nix finished 17 of 27 for just over 100 passing yards with a 71.1 QB rating, and Denver never really threatened much downfield. Still, he didn’t turn it over, and that mattered most in a game shaped by Seattle’s defense and Denver’s own discipline.
“Fortunately, we didn’t make any mistakes, and I know that sounds a little conservative, but we felt that was going to be the difference,” Sean Payton said post-game.
That approach made sense against a Seahawks defense that came in leading the league in takeaways. Denver’s offense did enough early to build a 14-3 lead, then leaned on the defense and the game script from there. The Broncos’ two long touchdown drives ended up being the kind of possessions they needed because Seattle clamped down the rest of the way.
Payton pointed to the matchup problems Seattle presents and made clear he expected a tight, awkward night on offense.
“There’s a ton of snaps with that defense where when the quarterback sets, there’s nowhere to go and then there’s those off-schedule plays," Payton said of the Seahawks. "Purdy last week was tremendous with some of those plays, but that was our concern, just timing and rhythm, protection and running it. We’re going to see a lot that we want to clean up.”
Nix had to work against a smothering two-high look, and once Denver had the early cushion, there was no reason to force anything. The Broncos had some success on the ground at the start, but Seattle’s halftime adjustments shut that down quickly. Denver punted on every second-half possession, yet avoided the one thing Payton could not afford against this defense: turnovers.
The Broncos’ defense carried plenty of the load. It sacked Sam Darnold five times and forced three turnovers, and Payton didn’t mince words about what that unit brought to the win.
Payton also kept coming back to the importance of the start. Since he resumed play-calling, Denver has put up 24 first-half points over two games. That’s not exactly fireworks, but it is better than what the Broncos had been getting, and against Seattle it was enough.
“It’s a different type of game. I’ve said this before, I can’t think of a game where I didn’t want to start fast," Payton said.
"In other words, keys to victory... You’re always wanting to start ready, and we were able to do that, but [I] thought we were physical when we needed to be in this game and our crowd was unbelievable.”
The bigger picture is what seems to matter most to him. Denver is 4-2 after a brutal opening six-game stretch, and Payton knows exactly how fragile that record can look when the margins are this thin.
“The record," Payton said when asked what makes him smile. "Meaning I say that the record, because those wins are hard to get. So we just played a real good team, and I feel like we can continue to improve.”
The Broncos have already won four one-score games and are 4-0 in those spots this season. Payton isn’t pretending that kind of luck or resilience can be taken for granted.
“Being at 4-2 right at this little three-day stretch and then get ready next week, that’d be the honest [answer]," Payton said. "And again, I’m a little bit of a realist to know that 4-2 could easily be 2-4.”
Now Denver gets a mini-bye after the short week, with three extra days before turning to the Arizona Cardinals. The schedule has been brutal through the first six weeks, but the Broncos finally get a chance to catch their breath.
There’s still plenty to sort out on offense: Nix’s slump, the run game, and the lack of real downfield passing all remain in the spotlight. But Payton isn’t dwelling on the panic outside the building, or the talk about moving on from his quarterback.
He’s focused on the record, the growth and the fact that Denver keeps finding ways to win.
“There’s still obviously a lot of things that we can improve on, we have to," Payton said. "When you look at last season and then you project what teams are going to be like, it’s hard to do.
We found a way to get four wins. We understand that certainly we have to become more effective, more efficient offensively and yet…”
And then came the part that sums up the whole thing.
“So obviously it’s easier to make these corrections when you get a win, and I think you guys know me enough by now that you’re never... It was a good win, but there’s a lot of work to do," Payton said.
For all the frustration around Nix, the Broncos have still beaten four 12-win teams from last season, and every opponent they’ve beaten has been a playoff team from January, including the winless Los Angeles Chargers. That’s the kind of résumé that keeps a coach calm, even when the offense is sputtering.
The benching chatter around Nix, though, isn’t going anywhere. Payton has made it clear he’s his guy, even if this version of the offense can’t last forever. And with the toughest part of the schedule now behind them, the hope in Denver is simple: that Nix settles down, the offense loosens up, and the Broncos stop needing their defense to win every week.
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