Broncos “must be better” around QB Bo Nix

One day and multiple trips through the game film later, Sean Payton hadn’t changed his mind.

Rookie quarterback Bo Nix? He’s got plenty to correct after throwing for 138 yards on 42 attempts in the Broncos’ 26-20 season-opening loss at Seattle on Sunday.

Payton, though, reiterated the need for everybody else to help the 24-year-old more than they did in Week 1.

“I just watched a play where he climbs the pocket,” Payton said on his Monday conference call. “There were some bloody looks and he’s off schedule, throwing off the wrong foot. But I would say he’s doing what he has to on that play. There’s a dagger that opened up, but we’re not good in protection.”

The play Payton’s likely referencing came midway through the fourth quarter. Nix in preseason practices and games looked very comfortable with the dagger concept — where an outside receiver runs a deep in-cut into a void created by a slot receiver running a clear-out vertical route.

Earlier in the game on the same concept, Nix had a clean pocket and threw the ball on time, but airmailed Courtland Sutton on the in-cut. This time, Sutton came open again but Seattle rushers Leonard Williams and Boye Mafe ripped past guards Quinn Meinerz and Ben Powers, respectively, and buried Nix as he let the ball go.

The ball hit the turf harmlessly.

So Nix missed the first opportunity, and protection cost the second. That’s essentially the story of the afternoon for the Broncos.

Overall, though, Payton wasn’t going to criticize the way Nix played. He had a long list of issues with the Broncos’ offensive outing, but if he was displeased with Nix completing only two passes that traveled more than 10 yards downfield in the air or forcing two throws to Sutton that ended up intercepted, he didn’t say so.

“Certainly, I saw a three-step (drop) and a hitch instead of a five and a hitch on a certain play. We’ll get that cleaned up,” Payton said of Nix. “But overall, when he’s climbing a pocket or he’s on the move extending a play, there are times where the ball’s going to get away from you.”

Payton was not happy with Denver’s pass protection, saying that after he watched the film, “It’s kind of what I thought I saw from field level. It wasn’t good enough.”

Nix was pressured on 36.7% of his 49 dropbacks, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats. That tied for 11th highest in the league through Sunday’s games.

He took two sacks, scrambled five times for 35 yards and a touchdown and otherwise was on the move frequently.

Payton wasn’t done there.

“Our red-zone offense wasn’t nearly as good as it needed to be and we did have some drops early on,” said the veteran coach, who also thought Javonte Williams and Audric Estime had chances in the run game but didn’t have their eyes in the right spots. “I think when I watch this tape offensively, we need to be better around (Nix) and we will be.”

Bolles OK: Payton on Monday added confidence to his Sunday assertion that left tackle Garett Bolles had avoided serious injury to his ankle.

“All the X-rays were negative,” Payton said. “MRIs were negative. Good news there. Obviously, there’s a contusion. That’s what I know, and that’s a positive.”