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Film Room: Broncos Aren't Panicking About Bo Nix—Tape Shows Why

Against Seattle, Bo Nix's first-half tape illustrates why the Broncos aren't panicking, and how close this offense could be to breaking out.
Lance Sanderson|
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 15: Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix 10 passes in the fourth quarter during a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on October 15, 2026 in Denver, Colorado.
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 15: Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix 10 passes in the fourth quarter during a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on October 15, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

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Denver Broncos

The discourse around Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is at a fever pitch. The offense hasn’t been playing well over the first six weeks of the season, and his poor play has been at the forefront of the conversation.

Expectations were high for Nix entering Year 3, especially after leading the Broncos to the AFC championship game in 2025. He showed tremendous growth down the stretch last year, and his ability to manufacture game-winning drives when the chips are down has been nothing short of spectacular over his first three NFL seasons, including 2026. 

But consistency issues have plagued Nix this season, and he doesn’t look like the same player he was before he broke his ankle in the playoffs. Between two offseason ankle surgeries, a new play-caller to open the 2026 season, and his incessant need to avoid negative plays, his performance has almost hurt the offense more than helped and put the team in some bad situations. 

It’s not all bad, though, and the two touchdown drives Nix led against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night showed that with a little better execution, this offense isn’t far from getting back on track. If these drives had settled for field goals instead of touchdowns, the Broncos don't beat the Seahawks in overtime, 17-14.

Let’s break it down in this week’s film room. 

Play 1 | First Quarter | 5:46 | 2nd-&-7

Fans have been critical of the play-calling this season because the Broncos run so many screens. Sean Payton has always used screens as an extension of the running game, and the offense usually executes them well. 

This first play is a great example of that. Watch center Luke Wattenburg and left guard Ben Powers release out and pave the way for running back RJ Harvey to get the drive going. Nix does a nice job of hanging tough to let this play develop in front of him, and Harvey does the rest. 

It may not move the needle very much in terms of a spectacular play, but finding and maintaining execution like this is going to be a major key in turning the ship around offensively.

Play 2 | First Quarter | 3:53 | 3rd-&-3

A couple of plays later, Payton dials up a shot play to Marvin Mims Jr. near midfield. I like this play call, because it signals that Payton intended to go for it on fourth down regardless of the outcome of the play. That kind of aggressiveness can help boost morale for your offense, signifying a certain level of trust in your guys to get the job done. 

Despite missing on this connection, the process of the play is well done for Nix. Jaylen Waddle is running a pivot route to his right side, and Nix flashes his eyes that way to draw the deep safety in that direction and open up the shot to Mims on the post. Nix hits his back foot and lays out a good ball to Mims, who nearly makes the catch in tight coverage. 

Taking these shot plays can help open up the defense, even if you don’t connect. Nix hasn’t been taking these kinds of shots down the field often enough, so it was great to see him air it out against a tough Seattle defense. 

Play 3 | First Quarter | 2:32 | 3rd-&-8

On the ensuing third down, Nix takes what is given to him on a quick throw to tight end Evan Engram underneath. This isn’t anything special, but it's the right play to keep the offense on track. It’s alright to hit the checkdown when you need to.

Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones gets drawn up the field by Courtland Sutton running an in-breaker, opening up a soft spot in the zone for Engram to release into. This is easy pitch-and-catch.

Play 4 | First Quarter | 0:36 | 3rd-&-6

This next play is probably the most promising throw Nix made, because it’s the right read, on time, and allows Sutton an opportunity to run after the catch over the middle of the field. 

Seattle is in man coverage across the board, and the Broncos run a natural pick play with Sutton on the shallow crossing route. Nix hits his back foot and delivers a good ball to Sutton with pressure in his face. Running back Tyler Badie does a great job of picking up the blitzing linebacker, and Nix shows composure to deliver the ball, with right tackle Mike McGlinchey getting pushed into his lap. 

Nix’s pocket presence has been rough this season. He’s been vacating clean pockets and running himself into pressure too often, so it was good to see him stay in the play despite having little room to throw. 

Play 5 | Second Quarter | 9:11 | 2nd-&-10

On the next drive, Nix takes another shot downfield, this time to Waddle. 

I love this decision and the process behind it. Seattle has two safeties deep, but they’re in man coverage across the board, and they rotate into a single-high look at the snap. Nix sees safety Ty Okada bail to the middle of the field, opening up one-on-one coverage against Waddle on the go route. 

Even though Nix misses on the throw, I like him being aggressive against Devon Witherspoon in coverage. Witherspoon is an incredible cornerback, but Nix trusted Waddle’s playmaking ability to give him a chance downfield.

Again, taking these shots more often can help open up the offense simply by making defenses have to respect the deep passing game. 

 Play 6: Second Quarter | 5:23 | 2nd-&-7

The other added benefit of taking those shots is drawing penalties. There are four outcomes to a passing play, and two of them are positive for the offense.

You either make the catch or get a penalty. This shot to Sutton put the Broncos at the 1-yard line due to a Witherspoon pass interference penalty in the end zone. 

Nix identifies Sutton against Witherspoon in man coverage and lays it out there. Even though Sutton has struggled in contested-catch scenarios all year, trying to let him make a play for you is a great decision in the red zone. The Broncos would score their second touchdown of the game one play later. 

The Takeaway

Rumors are flying throughout the media of a possible Nix benching here soon, but that would be a massive mistake. Sure, he needs to play better and within the scope of the offense as it is designed. His inefficiency and lack of willingness to take chances with the football are a big part of the offensive play through six games. 

But there is some good in there. It’s not all bad, nor is it all Nix's fault.

Cleaning up some execution, staying in the pocket and allowing plays to develop, and taking some chances can go a long way to improving his play as a whole. With the way the defense is playing this year, the Broncos could start scoring 30 points a game and blow teams out down the stretch with these improvements.

The Broncos' offense is getting extra possessions nearly every week thanks to defensive takeaways. Nix and company need to do a better job of taking advantage of that and sustaining some drives. 

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Lance Sanderson
LANCE SANDERSON

Lance Sanderson has been with Denver Broncos On SI since 2020, beginning on the beat originally in 2018 with Mile High Huddle. He covered the 2019 NFL draft on location in New York City. His works have also appeared on CBSSports.com, 247Sports.com, and BleacherReport.com. He co-hosts the Dove Valley Deep-Divers podcast on Mile High Huddle.

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