The Broncos offense has stumbled out of the gate, with Nix and Co. struggling to find consistency. In three tilts, Nix has totaled 535 passing yards and 5.6 yards per attempt, with five TD tosses to three interceptions. It’s a far cry from what was expected in Year 2 under Sean Payton.
Nix has been efficient on short, quick throws, but he has struggled mightily stretching the field. In Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, he completed just 3 of 9 passes on attempts of 10-plus air yards (-18.1 completion percentage over expectation, per NGS). Nix has missed open deep shots that could have flipped games for the 1-2 Broncos.
The issue, as Payton noted this week, isn’t simply the missed bombs. Denver has been in rough down-and-distances. Through three games, the Broncos are 12-of-37 on third down. Going 32% on key downs will get you beat. The inability to stay out of third-and-longs has been a killer.
The positive: Nix looked much worse to start his rookie campaign and was able to turn things around, finishing strong and helping the Broncos reach their first postseason in eight years.
If the Broncos cut out the avoidable penalties, start becoming more efficient on early downs and move the chains, Nix’s production will pick up. Hitting those splash plays he’s missed will then become a bonus. Payton has earned the benefit of the doubt that he can turn around his young QB’s play as the season wears on.
Source link
