September 8th 2024.
Wow, what a rough start for Bo Nix in his debut with the Broncos. It was clear from the beginning that he was struggling, and unfortunately things didn't improve much as the game went on. In fact, Nix only threw for 67 yards in the first half and had one interception, with four other potential ones that were luckily avoided. This was definitely not the debut that fans were hoping for from their new quarterback. Throughout training camp and the preseason, Nix didn't have any spectacular plays, but he did a good job of protecting the ball. However, Seattle's defense had him on edge from the start and disrupted his rhythm.
To make matters worse, every time Denver's run game started to gain momentum, head coach Sean Payton seemed to shy away from it. And the fumbles by Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin definitely didn't help in controlling the flow of the game. In the end, it was a disappointing performance from start to finish.
Moving to the defensive side, the Broncos' defense had a solid outing with just one major blunder in the first half. They were able to put pressure on Seattle's quarterback Geno Smith, resulting in an interception by Alex Singleton. The revamped defensive line had an immediate impact, and the duo of Jonathon Cooper and Baron Browning were a force to be reckoned with off the edge. However, as has been the case in the past for the Broncos, there was little room for error against the Seahawks. The defense struggled in the second half, allowing Kenneth Walker to rush for 81 yards in just the third quarter alone. And a coverage mishap in the fourth quarter sealed the deal for Seattle.
On the special teams side, the Broncos excelled. Despite the new kickoff rule not providing much excitement, the punt team made a couple of big plays. One of the most significant was a muffed punt that was recovered at the 9-yard line, setting up a first-and-goal for the offense. Another standout moment was Tremon Smith's excellent play, downing a Riley Dixon punt at the 1-yard line, ultimately leading to two first-half safeties for the Broncos.
Unfortunately, the coaching for Denver was not up to par in this game. The defense and special teams units were on point, but the same cannot be said for the offense. Even before the Broncos fell behind by multiple scores, there was a clear lack of balance in their play-calling. Nix had 30 drop-backs compared to just 21 runs in the first three quarters, and the team started the game with three tight ends but often played out of empty formations. However, Payton did make a good challenge on a spot early in the game and was aggressive with his timeouts late in the half to give the offense another chance with the ball.
Overall, it was a disappointing start to the season for the Broncos. But with some adjustments and improvements, they can bounce back and have a successful season.
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