The Denver Broncos improved to 4-2 with a 17-14 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. However, the victory did little to silence concerns about the team’s offense, particularly quarterback Bo Nix’s latest performance.
Nix completed 17 of 27 passes for just 107 yards, struggling to generate much through the air. His performance drew criticism from several analysts, including former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who said Nix was ‘not playing competitively’ and called the way he was playing quarterback “almost disrespectful to the quarterback position.”
But former New York Jets defensive back Kerry Rhodes believes the criticism has overlooked another important figure: Broncos head coach Sean Payton.
Kerry Rhodes Questions Sean Payton’s Role in Bo Nix’s Struggles
Speaking on FOX Sports Radio, Rhodes pushed back against the criticism directed at Nix, noting that Payton reassumed play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Davis Webb in Week 5.
“Why is Sean Payton absolved from any blame in this situation?” Rhodes asked. “He comes back, he takes over the play calling duties, four or five games in the season, not giving the offensive coordinator a chance at what he hired him to do.”
Rhodes suggested Denver may have emphasized ball security. The Broncos finished without a turnover, though Nix said afterward that the lack of vertical passing was not by design.
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“If you gonna dump on Bo Nix in this situation when everybody else is already doing it, shame on you,” Rhodes said. “And number two, if he’s married to the offensive coordinator, that’s Sean Payton’s guy. That’s the guy he drafted. Why does he not get any blame? Some of the blame is on him as well.”
Denver’s defense played a significant role in the win over Seattle. Ja’Quan McMillian intercepted a pass in overtime, giving the Broncos an opportunity to secure the victory with a game-winning field goal. However, Nix’s passing numbers remain a concern.
Through six games, Nix has completed 114 of 189 passes for 1,049 yards, a completion rate of 60.3%. He is averaging just 5.55 yards per attempt, highlighting Denver’s struggles to generate consistent production through the air.
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Nix also holds a 66.5 grade on PFN’s NFL QB Impact metric, ranking 29th among quarterbacks through Week 6.
Denver, currently fifth in the AFC at 4-2, is leaning so heavily on low-margin defensive heroics that it’s an unsustainable formula over a 17-game season.
The Broncos’ next test comes against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7. The matchup will give Denver another opportunity to find more consistency on offense and ease concerns about Nix’s performance.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.