Sean Payton’s shocking Broncos accountability should make Russell Wilson even angrier

It what was the most predictable Week 2 outcome of all, the Denver Broncos' offense was completely stymied by a dynamic Pittsburgh Steelers defense on Sunday afternoon. Bo Nix, the Broncos' lauded rookie quarterback, tossed two interceptions and zero touchdowns as Denver fell on the wrong side of a 13-6 final score.

It's hard to hold a team to 13 points and lose. Denver's defense did its job on Sunday, but the offense just could not sustain drives. Nix was able to pick up a few chunk gains through the air — he completed 20 of 35 passes for 246 yards — but for every positive throw, there was a softball into traffic or a miss wide. The rookie QB also led his team with 25 rushing yards, which is more an indictment on the offensive line and Denver's run game that it is a credit to Nix.

After dominating the college ranks in Oregon's dink-and-dunk offense, Nix has experienced the rude awakening most of us expected at the NFL level. Denver has done an excellent job of propogating the Bo Nix Hype Train all summer, but now that we have real games on tape, all those pre-draft worries are bubbling back to the surface. Nix lacks arm strength, he's relying way too much on his legs, and tackling the complexities of Sean Payton's offense has proven no small feat.

If there is any silver lining, it is that Nix has the support of his head coach. After Sunday's loss, Payton was quick to accept responsibility for the Broncos' offensive letdown.

"That side of the ball needs to get cleaned up and it starts with me,” Payton told reporters (h/t The Athletic). “We have to start really looking at who we’re asking to do what. It was frustrating because there were some elements that went to plan, field position-wise, but our inability to score and convert third downs ultimately hurt us."

Sean Payton takes the blame for terrible Broncos offense in loss to Steelers

To be frank, Payton does deserve a lot of blame here. For one, he was the driving force behind Denver's decision to draft Bo Nix, the first rookie QB in a Sean Payton offense since Drew Brees. Moreover, Payton was equally responsible for last season's putrid offense, which Denver was supposed to improve upon with Nix at the helm.

Payton famously benched Russell Wilson down the stretch of the 2023 campaign. The Broncos then cut Russ this past summer, incurring $85 million in dead money in order to make a change at quarterback. Nix was not the only possibility when training camp began — Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson both competed openly for the job — but Payton went with the rookie, deciding to entrust Denver's offense to its No. 12 pick and new franchise cornerstone.

After spending all of last season taking blatant jabs at Russ in the media, Payton has been singing a very different tune with Nix. It's clear that Denver's head coach prefers one to the other, but the merits of trusting Nix so fervently — and not really giving Russ the time of day a year ago — are murky at best.

One has to believe Denver will consider a change at QB. Both Stidham and Wilson remain on the roster and there's reason to believe that Nix, despite his advanced age and experience for a prospect, may benefit from the slow-burn, understudy approach. The more Nix can observe and absorb from the sideline, the better he probably looks the next time his number is called.

Payton has not officially moved Nix to the bench, though, so Denver could push through the early struggles and hope that Nix can swim his way out of the deep end.

Either way, something has to change. Denver's offense is not where it needs to be and Payton, after all the hype that followed his arrival in the Mile High City, needs to deliver on the promise associated with his name and stature.