Sean Payton left little room for interpretation after the Broncos’ win in Week 5.
Denver had to claw its way back again, using a 13-point fourth quarter and some timely defensive plays to escape with a victory that easily could have turned into one of the more frustrating losses of the Sean Payton era. Instead, the Broncos moved to 3-2, picked up their third win in four weeks, and still walked away with the same offensive questions hanging over them.
The biggest one centers on Bo Nix.
After the game, Payton said the part plenty of Broncos fans have been thinking for weeks. As Zac Stevens reported, Payton said, “I want him to let it rip”
That’s the crux of it. Through five games, Nix has often looked hesitant to challenge defenses down the field, and the offense has been paying for it. The Broncos keep running into the same problem: too many checkdowns, too few explosive plays, and not enough consistent downfield pressure to make defenses pay.
Part of that could be the way opponents are playing Denver. With the Broncos struggling to run the ball, defenses have been able to sit in a two-high shell and force Denver to earn everything underneath. If receivers aren’t coming open deep, that naturally pushes a quarterback toward safer throws.
But there’s also the possibility that Nix is being too careful, trying not to put the ball in harm’s way. That approach can make sense in isolation. When it starts to define the offense, though, it becomes a problem, because explosive plays disappear with it.
That’s especially frustrating given the idea behind bringing in Jaylen Waddle, which was to create those kinds of chunk gains. Right now, Denver still doesn’t look like a team that’s getting enough of them.
The strange part is that Nix has shown he can do it. In the “gotta have it” moments, especially when the Broncos are trailing, he has pushed the ball down the field before. That suggests this may not be an issue of ability as much as one of mindset - something he has to work through if Denver is going to get the offense where it needs to be.
In Other News...
Broncos Starter Hit With Another Fine And Fans Will Have Opinions
Quinn Meinerz keeps finding himself on the league offices radar, and this latest issue has nothing to do with what he does between the lines. After already getting dinged earlier this season for his dice-rolling touchdown celebration, the Broncos guard has drawn another punishment, this time tied to a social media video that crossed a line with NFL policy.
The situation has an extra layer because the post centered on the drug-test collection process, a subject the league treats seriously even when a player may not have meant any harm. Meinerz is appealing the fine, so this one is not necessarily finished yet, and it adds another small off-field distraction for a Broncos team that is trying to keep its focus on the field after its Week 3 win over the Rams. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Defense Awaits A Big Week 5 Call On Ladd McConkey
The Broncos may get a break on the injury front in Week 5, with Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey showing up on Los Angeles injury report as the division matchup approaches. McConkey has been one of the more productive pieces of the Chargers passing game through four weeks, with 12 catches for 183 yards and a touchdown, so his status matters plenty to Denvers defense as it prepares for a familiar AFC West test.
McConkey is dealing with multiple injuries, and the early read is that he is likely to miss the game, which would force the Chargers to reshuffle targets in a meaningful spot. If he is sidelined, Los Angeles will be asking other pass catchers to pick up the slack, and Denver will be watching to see whether the offense can maintain its rhythm without one of its steadier options. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Can Exploit A Chargers Weakness That Could Swing This Game
The Broncos head into their matchup with the Chargers looking for a place to press an edge in what figures to be a tight division game, and the middle of the field may offer it. Los Angeles has had to sort through protection issues up front, with guard Oday Aboushi struggling, while Asante Samuel Jr. remains the kind of versatile defender who can complicate easy throws. Even so, Denvers defense will be alert to the Chargers tight-end usage, especially with Jared Gadsden emerging as a meaningful piece in the passing game despite a still-unclear role.
From Denvers side, the more intriguing opportunity may come when the Broncos have the ball and test where the Chargers are least settled defensively. Injuries have thinned that group enough to make linebacker Justin Phillips a potential coverage target, and that sort of matchup can tilt a game if Denver isolates it well. Whether the Broncos lean on RJ Harvey, Evan Engram or another option, this is the kind of wrinkle that could decide which sideline is left looking for answers late. [Read more 🡒]