The Denver Broncos pulled off the win, and they again did it by surging in the fourth quarter. This is honestly tiring to talk about, as the Broncos put us through a mixture of emotions during a game that just should not go as it did in Week 5.
It felt like this team was heading toward one of the more disappointing losses in the Sean Payton era, but a 13-point fourth quarter and some nice defensive play helped the Broncos win their third game in four weeks.
The Broncos are now 3-2 on the season but many of the same concerns on offense are still present. Following the game, Payton said what many, perhaps all of us are thinking about when it comes to Bo Nix.
Denver Broncos' HC Sean Payton wants Bo Nix to 'let it rip'
I mean, this is as clear as you can possibly be:
Sean Payton on Bo Nix: I want him to let it rip
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevens) October 11, 2026
And this is simply something a lot of us have even been saying right in front of our televisions during games!
For whatever reason, Nix just does not feel or look like a quarterback who wants to push the ball down the field, and it is a bit troubling, as we're now through five games of the season, and it's the same issue that seems to be compounding each week.
My own theory here is that because the Broncos cannot run the ball well, defenses are coming out in a two-high shell and essentially daring Denver to run the ball, and doing what it takes to stop the passing game. We have seen Nix check it down quite a bit, and part of that could surely be no one being open down the field.
On the other hand, you almost wonder if Nix is always trying not to put the ball in harm's way. That isn't an inherently bad way to play the game, but when it becomes this magnified, the team will struggle to generate explosive plays.
And the whole idea with acquiring Jaylen Waddle was to spark those explosive plays. At the end of the day, we do not know what is going through Nix's mind during a dropback, but it is a bit troubling that he doesn't seem to test down the field as often as he could.
The other odd thing here is that we have seen him do this before.
Especially in 'gotta have it' situations when the team is trailing, Nix has no choice but to push the ball down the field, and he's done it before! Logically, that would mean it's not an inability here, but perhaps more of a mental hurdle he has to work through.
We'll see if this improves in the coming weeks, but Payton saying it certainly makes us perk our ears up.
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