Denver Broncos Head coach Sean Payton said starting quarterback Bo Nix “gave us a chance” during Sunday’s season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. He didn’t place any blame on his own hand-picked starting quarterback, instead shifting the criticism to other parts of the offense that were responsible for the 26-20 loss.

“Our protection was average at best and I believe that,” Payton told reporters after the game. “At one point in the game I came to the bench and talked to the receivers and said, look, let’s go, you know? I don’t know how many drops we had, but, man, let’s help this guy.”

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Nix, the most accomplished college QB of all time, was uncomfortable in his first start in one of the NFL’s most daunting stadiums: Lumen Field, the site of Denver’s Week 1 loss in 2022 with Russell Wilson at quarterback.

After a largely uneventful preseason, Nix completed 26 of 42 passes for 138 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions and two sacks. He posted a 47.5 passer rating and a 30.1 QBR.

It’s arguable that the 12th pick in the draft in April set a new league record for fewest passing yards with 25-plus completions and fewest yards per pass attempt (3.3) with at least 26 passes in a single game.

“They chased us a lot of the game,” Nix said of the Seahawks. “We were able to move the ball there at the end, but yeah, I thought they had good team speed. They got back into the football. They made open-field tackles, and that’s usually a sign of a good defense. So hats off to them.

Nix played like a rookie, and Seattle’s defense got paid, too. Both are undeniable. But the 24-year-old also got little from his supporting cast: The offensive line failed to generate consistent push, the running game was nearly nonexistent and the wide receivers couldn’t get any separation.

The Broncos went 5-for-18 on third downs, 1-for-4 in the red zone and recorded six consecutive three-and-out drives. Nix finished as the team’s leading rusher (35 yards). And at the root of it: Payton’s horizontally based playcalling lacked inspiration, never challenging the Seahawks secondary beyond the sticks.

“We’ve got to get better and I’ve got to get better,” Payton admitted. “What was frustrating was the down and distance efficiency for our offense on first or second down. There were too many third downs and eight or more.”

Nix takes responsibility for his actions, but ultimately the responsibility lies with Payton, who has no problem falling on the proverbial sword if it means his leader remains unscathed.

“If we have a plan like that and we don’t execute it or we don’t run that well, I have to look at why. That’s why,” Payton said.

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