ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Sean Payton can shuffle the offensive play-calling all he wants. Right now, the Denver Broncos are still going to live and die with what Vance Joseph’s defense gives them.
That was the clearest takeaway from Denver’s 23-17 win Sunday over the Los Angeles Chargers, a game the Broncos survived more than they controlled. Payton’s decision to take over play-calling from Davis Webb didn’t suddenly wake up the offense or settle quarterback Bo Nix, and Denver had to lean on a banged-up defense that kept coming through at the biggest moments.
The Broncos are 3-2, but the formula is not pretty. They converted just one of 12 third downs, and Courtland Sutton didn’t even get a target until the fourth quarter. Payton’s offense has plenty to clean up, and he said as much afterward: “It was good enough to win, but there are still a number of things that we need to improve on,” Payton said after the Broncos (3-2) converted just one of 12 third downs, Jaylen Waddle had just two catches and Courtland Sutton wasn’t even targeted until the fourth quarter.
Nix, meanwhile, is still searching for the version of himself Denver expected. Whether the issue is the two ankle surgeries he had last offseason or something else entirely, he looks stuck in a rut, much closer to the rookie who struggled early in 2024 than the quarterback who helped lead Denver to the AFC championship game last season.
Payton has tried to keep his quarterback’s confidence up. “I have said to him, ‘Man, you are the guy we wanted here.
Let’s go,’” Payton said in his postgame news conference, offering a glimpse into the pep talk he’s given his quarterback. “He has done a ton of things well.
I think a lot of things go into that. You know that old TV series ‘The Bear’ where they said, ‘Let it rip.’
I want him to make sure he knows that we can let it rip.”
Nix said the message is about trusting what he sees. “I think when a coach says ‘let it rip,’ it means trust what you see,” Nix said.
“Right now, there’s just a little subtle piece of overall offensive execution that we’re still working towards, because at times, it’s there and we’re really good. At times, for whatever reason, the drive stalls.
I think there’s a lot of pieces that go into it, but you’re right, letting it rip is one of the best things that you can do as a quarterback.”
Even with the win, Nix’s play still carries that uneasy mix of hesitation and doubt.
“At the end of the day,” Nix said, “the most important thing is we’re sitting here talking about a win.”
Denver had to claw through this one with takeaways and a critical defensive stop. The turning point came when Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh went for it on fourth down from his own 41 with just under 11 minutes left and a seven-point lead. Que Robinson made the stop, Denver took over, and Nix found Sutton for a 5-yard touchdown to tie it at 17.
Two plays later, Zach Allen strip-sacked Justin Herbert and Robinson recovered at the LA 23. Wil Lutz turned that into a field goal, then added another after Brandon Jones picked off Herbert at the Chargers 34. The night ended with Ja’Quan McMillian getting Denver’s fifth sack as time expired.
That fourth-down stop changed everything. It sparked four straight Broncos drives that began on Chargers territory, and it let Denver overcome yet another slow start.
The defense is carrying the load and, even with injuries, keeping the season afloat. Joseph’s unit kept producing despite losing more pieces Sunday, a performance that only adds to his growing case for another head coaching job.
The offense, on the other hand, needs help everywhere you look. It’s not just a matter of play-calling or sequencing. Nix has to play better, and Payton made clear he sees the film as the real problem.
“We’re not giving levels of confidence grades right now on a Monday morning before a Thursday game,” Payton said. “You can go ahead and opinionate, but I think confidence comes from - I’m watching the film offensively and there are a ton of things we’re not doing well right now, so that has to improve.”
Nix’s stat line reflected the struggle. He threw for 123 yards, the second-lowest total of his career and only two more than Herbert managed Sunday. The only worse performance of his career came in a storm against the Jets two years ago, when he threw for 60 yards in a 10-9 win.
He also isn’t creating extra chances with his legs and, according to the Broncos, he isn’t consistently finding open receivers. When asked about the play-calling change, Nix tried to keep the focus on execution rather than who’s holding the script.
“When it comes to who’s calling plays, I can’t really worry about it too much, because then it would get me distracted,” Nix said. “And I can’t really control it.
It’s completely out of my control. As long as I know the plan, study the plan and feel good about the plan, no matter who’s calling it in my ear, it’s going to be similar plays.”
Denver’s injury list only makes the defensive effort more impressive, and more urgent. Safety Talanoa Hufanga left with an ankle injury, while cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II (ankle) and Riley Moss (ribs) were already out.
Now the Broncos have to do it again on a short week, with the Seattle Seahawks coming to town Thursday night in what’s expected to be a rainstorm.
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