Sean Payton took the call sheet back from Davis Webb before the Denver Broncos’ trip to SoFi Stadium, and in doing so he removed the last easy explanation for Bo Nix’s slow start. If a new voice in the headset didn’t change the offense, the focus shifts to the quarterback.
Denver beat the winless Chargers 23-17 on Sunday, but the offense produced 224 yards and converted just one of 12 third downs. Nix completed 16 of 27 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown pass. Webb kept his game-planning role and his spot on the sideline, so the only real change was who made the calls.
The numbers keep pointing at Nix
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Nix entered Week 5 with a 60% completion rate and an 80.4 passer rating, both on track for career lows for him. Through five games, he has 942 passing yards, six touchdown passes and three interceptions while averaging 5.8 yards per attempt. His overall PFF grade of 49.8 ranks 34th of 36 quarterbacks, and his 52.6 passing grade sits in the same spot. ESPN’s Dan Graziano raised the uncomfortable question this week. He called it speculation, but he noted that the playcaller switch didn’t seem to work and that “you start to wonder if the problem isn’t the plays but the player.”
Payton isn’t there publicly. After the win, he told reporters what he told Nix: “Man, you’re the guy we wanted here. Let’s go. You’ve done a ton of things well.” He also wants his third-year quarterback to “let her rip,” and Nix agreed that “letting it rip is one of the best things that you can do as a quarterback.”
Payton did own the third-down problem. “I think we converted one third-down, so that’s not good enough,” he said after the game.
The defense won Sunday’s game, with Zach Allen and Brandon Jones making the key plays in the fourth quarter. That formula won’t hold up for long, and Seattle visits Empower Field at Mile High on Thursday night. A crowd that has waited two-plus seasons to see Nix take the next step will be watching whether Payton’s play sheet finally gets him there, because the Broncos are out of other changes to make.
