Bo Nix didn’t have a flawless start, but Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton saw a lot of potential in his rookie quarterback’s NFL debut.
Nix, who was the 12th pick in the draft, ended up on the losing side of a 26-20 game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. It was a frustrating game for him, with many short passes, a few poor choices, and some late attempts that almost worked.
“It was a challenge, for sure, to say the least,” Nix said. “I thought they were a really good defense. I thought they played well in their scheme. I thought they rallied to the football.
It was tough to get some explosive plays. And I think when you have a hard time getting explosives, you’ve got to sustain drives.”
Nix’s biggest issue was pushing the ball down the field. He completed 26 of 42 passes for just 138 yards, averaging only 3.3 yards per attempt. He also threw two interceptions—one to Seahawks safety Julian Love early in the second quarter, and another to Seattle cornerback Riq Woolen with 5:37 left in the game.
“He’s a rookie quarterback, he’s very talented obviously, Bo is,” Love said. “But it’s Lumen (Field), first game, first start, he’s a rookie quarterback, he’s going to get the ball out quick.
And so that’s why you see a lot of check downs today. A lot of great tackling I felt like by us, and then they tried to test the waters a few times deep, and I think we defended well.”
Despite his struggles, Nix showed some promise and determination later in the game, giving Denver a chance to come back. After his second interception, he led a seven-play drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown run, bringing Denver within six points with 2:19 left.
Payton was pleased with Nix’s perseverance and mentioned that some dropped passes by the Broncos’ receivers contributed to the rookie’s difficulties.
“He gave us a chance, you know?” Payton said. “Our protection was average at best. … At one point in the game, I came to the bench and talked to the receivers and said, ‘Look, you know, let’s go. I don’t know how many drops we have, but man, let’s help this guy.’”
