Broncos QB Bo Nix says his first start was challenging, went poorly

Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix is aware his first NFL start didn’t go the way he would like.

Or Broncos fans would have liked for that matter.

Denver lost to the Seattle Seahawks 26-20 on Sunday afternoon, and the rookie quarterback had a tough day. He didn’t throw for a touchdown but did have two interceptions. Nix was able to rush for a TD late with the Broncos down 26-13, but the game felt a bit out of hand.

And meeting with reporters after his debut, Nix admitted it was a rough start.

“It was a challenge for sure, to say the least. I thought they were a really good defense, I thought they played well in their scheme, rallied to the football. It was tough to get some explosive plays. And when you have a hard time getting explosive plays, you’ve got to sustain drives. They can get you in third-and-long,” Nix said.

Third-down was not kind to Denver at all. They went just 5-18 on the day and punted the football eight times. Still, they had a shot late if the defense could’ve gotten off the field. Baron Browning committed a brutal offsides penalty on third-and-11 and the Seahawks eventually got a first-down to kneel the game out.

“Overall, as poorly as we did, I think we gave ourselves a chance to win there at the end. Our special teams and defense played incredible, they really kept us in the game and gave us hope,” Nix said.

The Broncos had two safeties on the day, a rarity in the NFL. The defense also had an interception from Alex Singleton early and the special teams forced a muffed punt. Things looked like they could get ugly late, but Nix and Denver kept it respectable.

“We never quit. We battled. It could’ve gotten out of hand, but it didn’t. And we were a possession away from having a chance essentially. So, obviously not the original results you want, but I feel like we’re going to have a confident group and we’re going to bounce back from it,” Nix said.

For what it’s worth, head coach Sean Payton didn’t blame Nix after the game. Even with the two picks and just 138 yards through the air, Payton was focused on other units.

Still, Nix took it on the chest after a rough debut. And accountability is something fans always like to see.

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