In his debut with the Broncos, QB Bo Nix intercepted two balls and lost

SEATTLE – It wasn’t the career debut Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix envisioned or wanted on Sunday, but Denver coach Sean Payton said Nix didn’t get nearly enough help from his teammates or coaches to do better.

Nix, drafted No. 12 by the Broncos in April, finished 26 of 42 passing for 138 yards and two interceptions in the 26-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. He was also sacked twice and had at least two other potential passes dropped by Seattle defenders.

But Payton said the Broncos bore all the blame.

“He gave us a chance,” Payton said. “I mean, our defense was average at best. … At one point in the game, I talked to the receivers, ‘Hey, let’s go.’ I don’t know how many drops we had, but man, let’s help this guy.”

Payton, who has said throughout the preseason that a young quarterback’s best “allies” are a good running game and a good defense, was particularly concerned about the Broncos’ running game on Sunday. On paper, the 25 carries for 99 yards weren’t that bad. But if you subtract Nix’s 35 yards on running attempts (including a 4-yard run for Denver’s only offensive touchdown of the game), the Broncos ran the ball 20 times for 64 yards on the other runs.

The Broncos’ top two running backs – Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin – combined for eight runs for 23 yards and 10 runs for 27 yards, respectively. And rookie back Audric Estime fumbled on one of his two runs, and the Broncos recovered the ball.

“Every quarterback needs to be more effective running,” Payton said. “Not nearly good enough… We as coaches need to evaluate the running plan and figure out why it hasn’t been as effective as we would like… It’s going to be difficult to play quarterback, period, when that’s the best we can do running.”

The result was that Nix, with 42 pass attempts, was more than Payton expected the rookie to do in the game. Overall, the Broncos achieved 231 net yards on offense and made 5 of 18 third downs.

Payton even threw himself on the pile: “I have to get better.”

“It was a challenge. It was a tough day. They certainly didn’t make it easy for us,” Nix said. “It’s tough. You have to give them credit, but we fought.”

When asked if he was nervous before his first NFL appearance, Nix paused and said, “Uh, no.”

This all happened on a day in which the Broncos defense had an interception of linebacker Alex Singleton on Seattle’s second play of the game, forced two safeties in the first half and recovered a special teams fumble deep in Seahawks territory.

However, the Broncos offense converted the two turnovers into just two field goals, despite having the ball at the Seahawks’ 20-yard line and 9-yard line at the start of those attacks. The Broncos still led 10-9 at halftime.

Seattle rushed for 90 yards in the second half, while the Seahawks managed two touchdown drives well into the fourth quarter to take a 26-13 lead.

The Broncos reduced the deficit to 26-20 with a 4-yard run by Nix with 2 minutes and 9 seconds left, but did not get the ball back.

Payton, who named Nix the starter on Aug. 21, said he believed Nix was ready from the start and that the Broncos’ final drive was evidence that the rookie was still committed despite his struggles at the end of the game.

“He seemed calm and composed. I felt like he was very comfortable and ready,” Payton said. “We have to be better around him. We have to be better. I have to be better.”

Nix explained his point of view.

“As bad as we played, I think we earned a chance to win at the end,” he said. “Our defense and our special teams played unbelievable. They really kept us in the game. They gave us hope, they fought… The balls are on the ground; you have to figure out how to change that… You’re not going to hit all the balls.”

Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds said he was impressed with Nix’s efforts.

“I think that’s great,” he said. “A quarterback who kept fighting.”

Nix is ​​the Broncos’ first rookie captain since Hall of Fame running back Floyd Little in 1967. And Nix was the first rookie quarterback to start the season opener for Denver since John Elway in 1983.

His task won’t get much easier in Week 2, however, as the Broncos’ first home game is next Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who sacked Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​twice and intercepted him a couple of times in their opening win.