Overview
- Denver sits at 9-2 with an eight-game winning streak and the AFC’s top seed, a surge powered by an elite defense and frequent late-game rallies.
- Several offensive coaches and personnel executives told ESPN they see spottier footwork from Nix, discomfort with Sean Payton’s frequent substitutions, and occasional “fadeaway” throws that affect accuracy.
- The Broncos’ offense ranks near the bottom in efficiency with a 28.9% three-and-out rate and 55 offensive penalties, while Nix’s completion rate has dipped to 61.2% with a minus-3.2% CPOE and 6.3 yards per attempt.
- Nix leads the NFL in pass attempts (387) and takes sacks at one of the league’s lowest rates (3.07%), yet he has excelled late with league-leading fourth-quarter comebacks and game-winning drives, including recent wins sealed by Wil Lutz field goals.
- Sean Payton dismissed tempo concerns and praised Nix as “outstanding,” tight end Adam Trautman blasted online critics, John Elway urged Nix to tune out the noise, and Nix posted a faith-centered message on Instagram during the break.