ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As the Denver Broncos‘ offense struggles to prolong drives and score touchdowns, quarterback Bo Nix said Wednesday that part of how he handles adversity is by deleting social media so he can concentrate on solutions instead of criticism.
The Broncos sit atop the AFC West at 8-2 and are tied for the best record in the NFL. But they have largely accomplished that through their defense. The offense is ranked 14th in scoring and is the second-most penalized unit in the league, and Nix is near the bottom of the quarterback rankings in accuracy.
“We make this entertainment business a lot bigger than what it is and we forget everybody is just out here having a good time, having fun, doing the best they can,” Nix said. “For me it’s quite simple, I delete my social media, I don’t have it, so unless somebody says it to my face I don’t really hear it — and nobody is ever bold enough to say it to your face. I don’t get on social media.”
Nix has always said he is his own toughest critic when it comes to his play. And although Nix leads the league in fourth-quarter touchdown passes (nine) and has led the Broncos to a 4-0 record in games in which they trailed at the start of the fourth quarter — including two games they trailed by at least 11 points — the offense has not found the consistency coach Sean Payton wants.
Nix is 30th among quarterbacks in off-target throws — 18.5% of his attempts (excluding throwaways and spikes) — and is 28th in completion percentage (60.8%). Only Philadelphia has had more drives end with three-and-outs than Denver’s 28.8% — but the Eagles score touchdowns 81% of the time in the red zone compared to the 64.5% for the Broncos.
It all has brought more public scrutiny for Nix in his second season. He said he really first experienced that part of quarterback life during his time at Auburn.
“Went to Florida and we lost and that’s when I got to know the bad side of this sport,” Nix said. “It’s unfortunate for sure, but at the same time, it’s what comes with the territory. It’s also a gift because it allows other people to see how you respond to adversity. There’s a lot of younger kids out there, a lot of people out there who want to be in our shoes … it’s good for them to see not everything is pretty, not everything is happy-go-lucky.”
Payton said Wednesday the offense’s issues reach far beyond Nix. Payton pointed to the Broncos’ 52 penalties on offense (including those that have been declined). Only Jacksonville has been flagged more on offense. Payton also noted Denver has had too many slow starts, scoring only 44 first-quarter points in 10 games.
“For me it’s quite simple, I delete my social media, I don’t have it, so unless somebody says it to my face I don’t really hear it — and nobody is ever bold enough to say it to your face.”
Broncos QB Bo Nix
“It’s our jobs, offensively, to put ourselves in a position of starting faster,” Payton said. “I like that this year, we’re doing better in these one-score games, but to go where we want to go there has to be improvement.”
Asked if that also meant adjusting some things for Nix, Payton said, “It’s not Bo, it’s part of the whole process offensively. Our job each week … is to find easy completions … we’re constantly looking at how we can find those throws.”
Nix said he has taken the long view in the pursuit of wins and Super Bowl trips, with references to scripture and personal humility along the way.
“It definitely doesn’t go like you planned,” Nix said. “If it went like I planned, I definitely would have won every national championship in college, we would have won the Super Bowl last year, and we’d be undefeated right now … It would be selfish of me to think I’m owed a certain amount of respect or something else.
“[I want to be] a great teammate, being a great role model for people watching, and at the end of the day you’ve just got to do your best. I’m proud to be in this situation, I know it’s not easy, and a lot of things worth having in life aren’t easy.”
