PFF Says it's Time to Hit the Panic Button on Bo Nix & the Broncos

Denver Broncos fans didn't expect to be hearing this in Week 3.

Sep 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) drops to pass in the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

After just two weeks into the NFL season, Denver Broncos fans have gone from a state of eternal optimism to booing the players on the field. With Denver ranking top 10 in defensive EPA/Play and second to last on the offensive side, early signs point to a classic case of “same song different year” in the Mile High City — solid defense and incompetent offense.

Unfortunately, this shouldn’t be too surprising in hindsight. Denver is starting a rookie quarterback and has arguably one of the worst sets of offensive skill-position players in the entire NFL.

However, sitting at 0-2 with two East Coast road games against another set of talented defenses could lead to the team’s 2024 playoff hopes being over nearly as soon as the season started. Just how panicked should Broncos Country be after this 0-2 start?

According to Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker, the panic should be real in Denver. While there is an additional game and now a seventh playoff seed available, which means an 0-2 start is not a death knell for this team, being a 6.5-point underdog to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a 7.5-point underdog to the New York Jets is not a good sign for the Broncos.

"Following a strong preseason, rookie quarterback Bo Nix has left lots to be desired in his first two NFL games. Nix ranks 37th in PFF overall and passing grades, committing four turnover-worthy plays relative to only one big-time throw. The most alarming facet of Nix’s game is his lack of accuracy down the field: He has completed just five of 22 throws (22.7%) beyond nine yards.

"To be fair, Nix hasn’t received much help. Denver ranks 29th in team receiving grade, 31st in rushing grade and 22nd in pass-blocking grade.

"Vance Joseph’s defense has been similarly victimized, sitting 29th in overall grade. Even with Patrick Surtain II, coverage has been an issue, with only P.J. Locke slotting in with a coverage mark above 70.0.

"Given Nix’s early woes and the Broncos' diminishing defensive talent, it appears that 2024 will be another developmental year for Payton out West," Locker wrote.

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Many fans were demanding the Broncos draft a quarterback. Now, the question will be whether Broncos Country can stomach a rookie quarterback.

On top of the highs and lows (and mostly lows so far) of starting a rookie quarterback out of the gate, Denver’s roster is also extremely compromised due to the nearly $80 million in dead cap, thanks to the release of former quarterback Russell Wilson this past offseason.

PFF is correct in pointing out much of Nix’s struggles should not completely lie at his feet. Denver has struggled to run the football and lacks weapons on the perimeter to threaten defenses.

Coming into the season, Courtland Sutton was considered far and away Denver’s best pass catcher, with Marvin Mims Jr. a potential budding No. 2. Neither has made much of an impact through two weeks.

One area worthy of exception is the criticism of Denver’s defense. After an outstanding half of football in Seattle and a really good game versus Pittsburgh outside of one drive, Denver's defensive grade of being the fourth-worst, according to PFF, should raise some eyebrows.

However, when Zach Allen, who is tied for first in defensive pressures among all interior defensive linemen with 13, ranks as the 90th interior defensive lineman out of 121 with 30 or more defensive snaps, we see that PFF's grades are not the end-all-be-all. 

Regardless, if the early returns are indicative of the team’s future performances, Broncos Country should be expecting much of the same that has plagued the fanbase over the past decade: a defense that is good but not quite good enough to overcome the offense, and a bad and boring offense.

Fortunately for Broncos Country, there's a lot of football left to evolve and improve. This season was never about making the playoffs anyway.

It's always been about finding out whether Nix is capable of becoming the team’s franchise quarterback and whether Payton is as good at evaluating quarterbacks as he has stated previously.

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