Denver Broncos and Bo Nix Struggle With The Same Problems As 2023

The Bo Nix era with the Denver Broncos began with a loss in Seattle, Washington at Lumen Field against a raucous crowd and a stout Seahawk defense. It was not the start that Broncos Country wanted.

Head Coach Sean Payton had been preaching all offseason that the best way for the Denver Broncos to protect a rookie quarterback would be to run the ball and stop the run. They were unable to accomplish either of those on opening weekend. There were three things the Denver Broncos needed to accomplish for the Broncos to start fast in 2024. Run the ball, stop the run, and have the offense be efficient and sustain drives.

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The Denver Broncos Did Not Run The Ball Effectively

The Denver Broncos were hoping that the investment they had with the offensive line would change the run game from a year ago. In week one at least, it looked like more of the same from the Broncos. The Broncos, behind Running Backs Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Audric Estime, rushed the ball 25 times for a total of 99 yards. An average of 4.0 yards per carry. That appears to be decent yards per carry, but they were not able to take the pressure off their rookie Quarterback Bo Nix when they needed to.

Anytime you have a rookie quarterback drop back 42 times that is not a recipe for success. Nix was forced to roll out on numerous occasions and force throws that he normally would not make. Nix also threw two interceptions on Sunday afternoon. Each of the interceptions was an ill-advised throw that a rookie must learn to avoid. If the Denver Broncos want any kind of success this season the offensive line must have a greater impact than they did in Seattle on Sunday afternoon.

The Defense Did Not Stop The Run

In the first half, it looked as if the Denver Broncos defense was going to dominate all afternoon. They were able to force two safeties against Seattle Quarterback Geno Smith. The defensive line was creating tremendous pressure the entire first half and then the third quarter began. The third quarter became the Kenneth Walker III show. He ran 20 times on the afternoon for 103 yards. It was the third quarter when Walker and the Seattle offensive line had their way with the Broncos and sapped the will from the Broncos defense.

With free agent pickups (Franklin-Myers) and trades (Brandon Jones) specifically designed to stop the run, it looked all too familiar for the Denver Broncos defense. They could not make plays when it mattered the most. The Seahawks began the second half with a touchdown, followed by a field goal, and followed up by another touchdown largely based on the Seahawks ability to dominate the line of scrimmage. Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph will need to figure out some answers before the Pittsburgh Steelers come to the "Mile High City" next week.

Bo Nix Struggled In His NFL Debut

Bo Nix experienced his "Welcome to the NFL Moment" on Sunday afternoon. He was no longer playing the likes of Washington or UCLA. He was playing all-pro defensive players who were able to read his eyes and key on his process. The offensive was widely ineffective. The Denver Broncos, on two different occasions in the first half, started with the ball inside the Seahawks 30-yard and only came away with six points. There was a point in the third quarter where the Broncos had 15 drives for the game and seven of those drives ended in three-and-outs.

Nobody expected Nix to be perfect on Sunday, but the rookie was expected to have the poise and composure that he is known to have. There were glimpses, like the touchdown run he had near the end of the game, but there needed to be more plays like that on Sunday and the Sundays to come if Nix is to be the franchise quarterback Broncos Country has been seeking all these years.

Conclusion

It is week one and some things are encouraging about the Denver Broncos for 2024. There may be much more patience necessary for "Broncos Country" this year than what was originally hoped for. No conclusions can be made in one game for a rookie quarterback, and there is reason to be optimistic, but Sean Payton and company need to figure out how to run the ball, how to stop the run, and how to get Nix more comfortable running the Denver Broncos offense.

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Article originally written by Ryan Arkema