Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos leaves the field after defeating the Houston Texans.
Bo Nix needs more help from his teammates. That is not to say the Denver Broncos’ second-year passer is without culpability in the offense’s early-game woes. However, it does reflect what Broncos head coach Sean Payton said about the matter.
Payton put the onus on the entire operation, including himself and the offensive coaching staff, rather than Nix, whom he complimented.
The timing of the comments is quite noteworthy for the young QB.
Payton fielded a question about the Broncos’ slow starts. After explaining that they “understand” they must start faster, which is the entire group’s “job,” Payton was pressed on whether or not he can help Nix in that regard.
That was when the defense came in.
Payton, who helmed the Broncos’ decision to draft Nix in what was viewed as a strong fit before it even came to be, said, “It’s not Bo.”
“I think it’s part of the whole process offensively and constantly in our game planning this week. Certainly, opponents vary what they do scheme-wise. This is a pressure team. And so, our job each week, we’re always looking to find easy completions,” Payton said during his media availability on November 12.
“When we look at when I look at the touchdown reel on Mondays – I’ve said this to you before. Sometimes you’d look at a play, and you’d just say, ‘Player.’ He went up, made a great play. Then sometimes someone’s wide open, and you click that button. You save it, and that was ‘scheme.’ And so, we’re constantly looking at how can we find those throws that fit the scheme and the defense you’re attacking.”
Payton also lamented the group’s propensity for penalties.
“We’re doing a great job of not taking sacks,” Payton said. “But when we’re all of a sudden 1st-and-20, we’ve got to eliminate those.”
Nix has thrown for 2,126 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions on 60.9% completion this season. However, the Athletic’s James Palmer explored the “Bo Nix experience,” highlighting Nix’s reliance heavily on fourth-quarter theatrics this season.
“In the 4th quarter, Nix is second in total yards, no one has more game winning drives, 4th quarter comebacks, touchdowns (9), 1st downs (40), completions over 10 yards,” Palmer posted on X on November 12. “In the first three quarters only Cam Ward has a lower completion% than Nix’s 59.5, only Dillon Gabriel has averaged fewer YPA and only Geno Smith (10) & Justin Herbert (7) have more INT than Nix (6).”
Nix said he blocks out the criticism, getting off social media, where it remains prevalent.
“Please don’t tell me anyone believes in Bo Nix,” former NFL cornerback and Super Bowl champion Asante Samuel said in a post on X on November 12. “He isn’t like that!”
Nix has his defenders, too, many of whom also point to Payton as a potential issue for the Broncos, with his play-calling and personnel usage during games a sticking point. The discourse around the Nix and the Broncos belies their 8-2 record.
Washington Commanders veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner opened up about head coach Dan Quinn’s decision to assume the defensive coordinator position from Joe Whitt Jr on Wednesday in Madrid, Spain.
“I think whenever you have a move like that, it means the players are not executing at the level that they need to be. We have to do better, and we have to perform better.”
Washington has been outscored 154-16 since Week 7 and has lost four consecutive games by 20+ points. The Commanders’ 44-22 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday was the final nail in the coffin for Whitt Jr. as defensive coordinator, leading Quinn to make a change on Monday.
Now, the Commanders are seemingly in a must-win game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday morning in Madrid, as they are on the verge of losing their sixth consecutive game and falling to 3-8 on the season.
However, Wagner believes that regardless of who is calling the plays, the change first needs to begin with the players in the locker room.
“We have to execute better. It doesn’t matter the play calls; we as players have to take ownership of being out there on the field,” Wagner said. The coaches aren’t out there on the field, so we have to execute better regardless of who is calling the defense.
Wagner leads the Commanders in tackles (99) and has recorded two sacks, an interception, and a pass deflection in his first season with Washington. He has recorded 32 more tackles than safety Quan Martin, who has tallied the second most tackles on the team.
Luckily for Washington, Miami has also struggled this season, posting a 3-7 record; however, it dismantled the Buffalo Bills 30-13 on Sunday in Florida and has now won two of its last three games after starting 1-6.