Bo Nix on Sunday became the 11th player in NFL history to throw at least 42 passes in his first game.

Was that coach Sean Payton’s plan for the former Pinson Valley High School and Auburn star’s debut as the Denver Broncos’ starting quarterback?

“Absolutely not,” Payton said.

The Broncos opened the 2024 season with a 26-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. But Payton didn’t blame the loss on the rookie QB, who won the job over Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson after joining Denver from Oregon with the 12th pick in the NFL Draft on April 25.

“He gave us a chance,” Payton said. “Our protection was average at best. … At one point in the game I came to the bench and talked to the receivers and said, ‘Let’s go.’ I don’t know how many drops we had, but man, let’s help this guy. …

“I thought he was in it. I never felt like it was too big or confusing. He was sharp. I thought he even extended some of the pieces with his feet. Again, we’ll look at the tape, but we’ve got to manage him better.”

Nix completed 26 of 42 passes for 138 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He was Denver’s leading rusher with five carries for 35 yards and his first NFL touchdown.

The Broncos’ other ball carriers totaled 64 yards on 20 rushing attempts, and that performance played a role in Nix’s 42 passing yards, Payton said.

“We’ve got to be more effective running the ball,” Payton said. “If you take away his scrambling yards, I think we were somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 yards rushing to their 140, so not nearly good enough. …

“It’s going to be tough to play quarterback when that’s the best we can do with the ball.”

Denver led 13-9 at halftime on three Will Lutz field goals and two safeties. But the lead could have been bigger: The Broncos’ first possession began at the Seattle 20-yard line on an interception, and a second quarter series began at the Seahawks’ 9-yard line on a failed punt. But Lutz scored in both cases.

Nix was intercepted at the Seattle 1-yard line in the second quarter and the Seahawks 38 in the fourth quarter.

Following his second interception, Nix led Denver’s only touchdown drive. In the seven-play, 54-yard series, Nix ran for 23 yards on the first snap, ran four consecutive completions and finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run.

That put the Broncos just six points behind, but Seattle still ran out of time to win.

“It was definitely a challenge, to say the least,” said Nix, who had seven three-and-outs. “I thought they played really good defense. I thought they played well in their scheme. I thought they regrouped in front of the ball. It was tough to get explosive plays, and I think when you’re struggling to get explosive plays and sustain your drives, they can get you in third-and-long, third-and-tough situations.

“Overall, I think as bad as we did, we gave ourselves a chance to win.”