Jeff Legwold
DENVER — Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton has lengthy mentioned an impactful run recreation and a force-the-issue protection might be “a quarterback's greatest associates.”
Broncos QB Bo Nix wanted each little bit of assist from these besties Sunday, as Denver was in a position to open the 2025 season with a 20-12 win over the Tennessee Titans at Empower Area at Mile Excessive regardless of three turnovers from its second-year QB.
“It is one of the best feeling if you've received a great protection, simply time and again they sort of received us out of a jam all through the sport,” Nix mentioned. ” … [And] everyone within the stadium knew we have been operating the ball on the finish, and we did an ideal job.”
Sunday was the second three-turnover recreation of Nix's 18-game profession — he threw two interceptions and misplaced a fumble — as he completed 25-of-40 for 176 yards with a landing to vast receiver Courtland Sutton. The misplaced fumble, the results of a sack by Titans defensive deal with Jeffery Simmons within the second quarter, was Nix's first since 2021, when he was a junior at Auburn.
Excessive-turnover begins aren't new for Nix. He began final season with 4 interceptions in his first two video games, then threw two within the subsequent 10 video games mixed. That did not make Nix really feel higher about his efficiency on Sunday, although.
“I feel I am harder on myself now, since you do know higher,” Nix mentioned. ” … Yearly of my profession I've thrown a choose, and as a lot as you don't need [to] I am in all probability going to throw one yearly I play, so simply received to restrict them. Hopefully I keep at two [interceptions] for some time.”
Nix additionally threw two interceptions in final yr's season-opening loss to the Seahawks. However that was his first profession begin. Sunday wasn't.
“You do not ever need to throw interceptions. As robust as it's, you've got simply received to maneuver on and reply with optimistic performs after that,” Nix mentioned. “Each instances I believed I had respectable imaginative and prescient … [but] in all probability should not have thrown each of them. You reside and also you study, typically you generally is a little too aggressive, and I used to be too aggressive. In the end, I've received to be smarter.
“I've to deal with the soccer, particularly with our protection. Cannot put them in dangerous spots.”
Nix's turnovers put the Broncos' protection in a foul spot. His first interception to Titans security Xavier Woods occurred on the Tennessee 46-yard line, whereas his fumble gave Tennessee the ball on the Broncos' 38. His second interception, thrown to Tennessee nook Roger McCreary, positioned the Titans on the Denver 26. However the Broncos' protection bailed out its quarterback, limiting the Titans to 2 discipline targets off Nix's gaffes.
For his half, Payton was fast to defend his quarterback's play, particularly down the stretch.
“I believed [Nix] hung in there, he battled he made some important performs for us in within the second half,” Payton mentioned. “Clearly he'll be upset with the turnovers, nevertheless it was a gutsy efficiency. Fairly ordinary Week 1, plenty of appears perhaps you have not seen. … General his job is to steer us to scores and I believed he performed very well within the second half and we received the sport.”
When requested additional about Nix's total progress after Week 1, Payton curtly added: “We're not going to have a progress meter every week … he is in his second yr and I really like the participant and he generally is a big cause we win video games, however we're not going to have the meter.”
Earlier than the season opened, Nix mentioned he believed that one of many greatest challenges he'd face can be coping with changes opposing defenses devised for him to remove the throws he prefers. The Titans have been intent on hemming Nix within the pocket on Sunday, creating strain to pressure off-balance throws and pushing plenty of the quarterback's reads outdoors the numbers towards the sideline.
Nix did get some assist from the Broncos' dashing assault late. After dashing the ball solely 18 instances — 13 from operating backs — for 57 yards within the first three quarters, Denver received 91 yards within the fourth quarter from operating backs RJ Harvey and J.Okay. Dobbins. Harvey had a 50-yard run, whereas Dobbins' 19-yard landing run three performs later supplied the ultimate margin of victory.
Regardless of the win, Nix is aware of changes should be made, and his teammates imagine in his capacity to make them. Security Talanoa Hufanga, who sported a Nix T-shirt after the sport, felt like he spoke for the locker room when discussing the Broncos quarterback.
“It is a staff sport,” Hufanga mentioned. “… No matter what sort of day he has, I do know I've received his again and he is received mine.”
