Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix says he isn’t buying the idea that his play has fallen off this season, calling the whole notion of playing “good” or “bad” an invented storyline.
“I think playing good and playing bad, it’s all a narrative and I think it’s honestly kind of something we make up,” Nix said at Broncos practice Tuesday. “I don’t necessarily think I’m playing any different than what I’m normally playing. … I’m confident in my preparation. I’m confident in my coaching, and I’m confident in our offense and the way we’re going to structure the game and call plays.”
The numbers through five games this season do show a dip. Nix has thrown for 942 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions, with an 80.8 passer rating and a 59.9% completion rate — both career lows. Last season he threw for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with an 87.8 rating and 63.4% completion mark. In 2024, his rating sat at 93.3 with a 66.3% completion rate and 29 touchdown passes.
Nix managed just 123 passing yards in Denver’s Week 5 road win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Still, the Broncos sit at 3-2 after going 14-3 last season and reaching the AFC Championship Game.
“It’s a mental battle, and that’s kind of where I find myself sometimes in a season like this where it’s not as good as you want it to look, but you’re winning, and you’re playing tough teams, and you’ve gotten close against a few more tough teams,” Nix said.
Denver’s offense ranks 30th in the NFL in total yards per game (269.0), 26th in scoring (19.4 points per game), and 25th in both passing yards (182.8) and rushing yards (86.2) per game. The team shifted play-calling duties last week, with head coach Sean Payton taking them back from offensive coordinator Davis Webb, who had been calling plays for the first time after his offseason promotion.
By comparison, last season Denver’s offense ranked 10th in total yards (342.6 per game) and 14th in points (23.6 per game), buoyed by a defense that led the league in sacks (68.0) and ranked second in opponent total yards and third in opponent points allowed.
That defense has slipped too. The Broncos now rank 29th against the run (145.2 yards allowed per game), 22nd in total yards allowed (347.4 per game), 13th in points allowed (22.2 per game), ninth in passing yards allowed (202.2 per game) and tied for ninth in sacks (13.0).
“I think sometimes I can have a tendency of overanalyzing things and overthinking things, and that’s when I’m not at my best,” Nix said. “I want to have all the answers and get everything right, and it’s just too difficult.”
Nix added that he can’t afford to play scared of mistakes. “Worried about throwing an interception” isn’t the mindset he wants — instead, he said, the goal is simply to “play the play.”
Denver hosts the defending Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night in prime time.
