Everybody wants to make a big deal about Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Bo Nix having an interaction on the sideline following an incomplete pass on third down.
Cameras catch a lot of things going on on an NFL sideline without any context, so everyone wanted to hear from both Payton and Nix to find out what it was all about.
Both of them explained that the interaction on the sideline was not what it appeared, which was that it appeared like a heated exchange in which Nix has been accused by a lot of people of not being "coachable". Which is a hilarious assumption to make.
Bo Nix clears the air on sideline interaction with Broncos HC Sean Payton
Bo Nix and Sean Payton share a moment on the sidelines pic.twitter.com/g38AQV5kq8
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 14, 2025
Just reading body language here, you can obviously sense some in the moment frustration from Nix, but he explained that the only reason it looked this way
“I think for whatever reason we’re allowing conversations to become bigger than what they are. We oftentimes forget that it’s a big stadium and a lot of people are talking at the same time, so you have to be a little bit louder and more vocal. So that was just something as simple as he asked me what happened on a play, I told him, I turned, he couldn’t quite hear, turned back and told him again. There were no issues. It’s just a quick conversation with the head coach. Nothing pressing.”
- Broncos QB Bo Nix (via team PR)
The Denver Broncos played outstanding offensively for the majority of that game against the Colts. The problem in that matchup wasn't the play of the offense, but the defense, which allowed 473 yards and didn't force a single turnover. Not only that, but they only had one sack on Daniel Jones and couldn't get pressure consistently, even blitzing over 70 percent of the time.
The Colts got the ball last, and took advantage. The Broncos made one too many mistakes.
And in a game like this, perfection was essentially required from the offense, and they didn't achieve that. The play that preceded this sideline interaction was what appeared to be a miscommunication between Nix and his receiver or at the very least, poor execution.
The Broncos scored 28 points within the first three quarters of this game, and capitalized on nice drives by cashing in when they got to the red zone in the first half. Even with the Colts being short-handed defensively, that's a solid unit with a lot of good players and the Broncos were having their way.
Through the first two weeks of the season, we've seen a number of issues show up for the Broncos offensively, even as improved as they were against the Colts. Those miscommunications are unacceptable for a team with standards set high like the Broncos have right now. They've got to figure out how to get on the same page, especially on those third down plays where they need to be moving the chains with high percentage plays instead of walking off the field frustrated.