Raiders' AFC West Rival Already Pointing Fingers, Sign of Dysfunction?

The Las Vegas Raiders' AFC West rivals, the Denver Broncos, started the 2024 season with a loss. Is head coach Sean Payton panicking?

Sep 8, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton watches pregame warmups against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders lost their season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, an AFC West opponent. Another AFC West rival, the Denver Broncos, also began the season 0-1 with a 26-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Broncos struggled in the contest, as did their rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Nix was taken No. 12 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Many questioned the pick and Nix's validity as a first-round talent.

While it was only his debut, and it's not uncommon for rookies to play poorly in their first NFL game, Nix went 26 for 42 with 138 yards, two interceptions and two sacks. His QBR was 31.3, one of the worst in the league. His passer rating, 47.5, similarly poor. Nix averaged just 3.3 yards per attempt, too.

After the game, Broncos coach Sean Payton began to point fingers. Erick Trickel of the Denver Broncos On SI thought that Payton should have pointed the finger at himself as head coach.

"Sean Payton's quick shift of blame to the running game and offensive line and drops in the passing game overlook the primary issue of play-calling and play sequencing," Trickel wrote. "This not only affects the Broncos' performance but also puts undue pressure on the rookie quarterback. It's a team effort, and supporting the rookie quarterback is crucial. ... Payton has shifted the blame to everyone surrounding Nix, and while some of his post-game remarks suggest he's accepted accountability, they were all the common “coach-speak" answers after a badly disappointing loss. Make no mistake; there's plenty of blame to go around. The Broncos' offensive line did have issues. The defense struggled in the second half.

"The Broncos' receivers struggled to get open against the tight zone coverage, and the quarterback was all over the place as a passer. However, it starts with coaching and putting players in a better position to succeed. Payton failed to do that."

Payton's dysfunction could be calamitous for a young quarterback that some already thought was "undraftable," like former NFL veteran and quarterback expert Drew Stanton.

Stanton pointed out warning signs surrounding Nix just before the draft, speaking with our Hondo Carpenter Sr.

""He has the capability to look good at times," Stanton said. "The consistency isn't there though. ... I look at a guy like this, and I'm like, 'this is Stetson Bennett' ... a guy that's sneaky athletic and can make plays and do all of this stuff. ... But then you start looking at the nuances of it, within this offense he was only asked to throw the ball a very short distance and guys would run. That's alarming to me. A lot of [his passes] were at or just behind the line of scrimmage."

Things could be unraveling in Denver, and it could greatly hurt their chances in a tough division.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE