Sean Payton didn’t exactly hide the issue after the game: the Broncos can keep surviving with Bo Nix’s late magic, but that can’t be the whole story.
That’s the tension sitting at the center of Denver right now. Nix has already built a reputation as one of the NFL’s most clutch quarterbacks in his first three seasons, piling up 12 game-winning drives in the regular season.
That means he has authored a game-winning drive in 32.4 percent of his starts. The finishes have been there.
The problem is everything that comes before them.
Payton was asked about getting Nix and the offense moving earlier, and his answer made the point plain. “That’s the $6 million question, honestly, and I think that we’re trying to sort through this first quarter, meaning he’s- obviously the moments aren’t too big and he moves and escapes and makes plays, and it leads us to that first part of the jigsaw, which is, we have to find a way to play better earlier...Obviously, it starts with me or it starts with a group of us before it ever gets to Bo, and that was one of our big points of emphasis coming into this game was just, we knew kind of the type of offense they had and we felt starting that was going to be important for us and yet it didn’t happen.
So I’m pleased with how we responded, but you asked a great question, and we can’t-it’ll cost us in bigger games. I just believe that against teams that are playing better later in the season and I’m talking about ourselves, whoever it is, it’ll be something we’ll be frustrated about later if we can’t clean it up.”
- Broncos HC Sean Payton (via team PR)
It was a long answer, but not a casual one. Payton clearly knows this is more than a one-game annoyance.
Denver’s offense keeps digging itself into holes, then relying on Nix and a second-half rally to claw back out. That formula has produced wins, but it also leaves the Broncos living dangerously.
The late comebacks are real. So is the problem of slow starts.
The Broncos have too often opened with three-and-outs, stalled drives, or entire halves that never really got going. When that happens against better teams, the margin disappears fast.
That’s why the bigger question keeps coming back: what would this offense look like if it played four complete quarters?
Denver has shown flashes of it, including some blowouts during Nix’s rookie year and a big performance last season against the Cowboys. But those games have been the exception, not the rule. More often, the Broncos have had to flip the switch after they’ve already put themselves in trouble.
Payton also knows the issue isn’t just on Nix. The coach said as much, pointing to himself and the staff first.
There are real reasons this offense has struggled for consistency, from dropped passes to a lack of running game to penalties that kill drives before they can breathe. But the question was about Nix, and Payton’s answer carried weight because it didn’t dodge that part of the conversation.
This is also a different kind of moment for the quarterback and the team. Nix is no longer the rookie trying to find his footing or the second-year player just trying to prove he belongs.
The Broncos are no longer just chasing a playoff spot or trying to stay relevant in the AFC West. They’re aiming higher than that now.
And Nix is eligible for a contract extension after this season. Broncos ownership has already said they want him around for the long term, but that kind of talk only goes so far if the offense keeps sputtering early and needing rescue acts late. A quarterback contract north of $50 million per year is a different conversation when the offense is getting shut out for a half.
So yes, the Broncos have a quarterback who can bail them out late. That part is established. What still needs to be established is whether they can stop putting themselves in that position in the first place.
The late-game heroics show Denver has plenty of fight. They do not solve the execution issue. And if the Broncos are serious about being a contender, that gap between surviving and controlling games has to close soon.
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