Bo Nix takes accountability after Broncos’ offense falls apart against Chiefs

Bo Nix isn’t interested in making excuses after the Denver Broncos’ disappointing start to the season.

Denver was overwhelmed in Monday night’s 31-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but Nix made it clear Thursday that one bad performance isn’t enough to send the Broncos into panic mode ahead of Sunday’s home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“We’re not pressing the panic button, we’re not freaking out, we’re not starting from scratch or anything,” Nix said. “We didn’t play great by any means, just got to play better.”

There was plenty for Denver to correct.

The Broncos surrendered 200 rushing yards and missed 19 tackles defensively. Offensively, they generated only 176 net yards while Nix endured one of the rougher outings of his career.

Nix threw an interception on his first attempt, was sacked a career-high four times and fumbled three times, losing one. Denver also struggled to sustain drives, converting just two of 12 third-down opportunities and failing to convert one after halftime.

Sean Payton gets candid about Broncos’ ugly loss

The loss also continued Nix’s difficult history in season openers. Denver is now 0-3 in Week 1 with Nix as its starter, with the quarterback throwing five interceptions and taking eight sacks in those games.

Head coach Sean Payton, however, refused to place the responsibility solely on Nix or first-time offensive playcaller Davis Webb.

“There was dirt on a ton of people’s hands, including me,” Payton said.

Denver now faces a short turnaround against a Jacksonville team that opened its season with a convincing 34-10 victory over Cleveland.

The Jaguars also present a dangerous challenge for a Broncos offense that struggled to protect the football. Jacksonville finished second in the NFL with 31 takeaways last season and forced two more in Week 1.

Nix threw for a career-high 352 yards against Jacksonville last season, but Denver still lost.

Asked what the Broncos must do Sunday to make Webb’s job easier, Nix offered a simple solution.

“Get first downs, score points.”

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