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Sean Payton has seen enough of Bo Nix standing in a collapsing pocket. After a Week 1 loss in Kansas City left the Denver Broncos with 176 total yards, the head coach leaned on the ground game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and there is no sign he plans to let up.
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ESPN’s Jeff Legwold called Denver’s run commitment real in the network’s review of early surprise trends across all 32 teams. Payton keeps saying he wants “good balance” and to “take the quarterback off the high dive,” and Sunday’s 20-13 win showed what that looks like in practice.
The Broncos ran just 15 times in the 31-10 loss to the Chiefs, when Nix finished 17-of-28 for 131 yards with an interception. Against Jacksonville, Denver finished with 28 rushes for 104 yards and put Nix under center more often. J.K. Dobbins and rookie Jonah Coleman split 20 carries evenly, and Coleman’s 3-yard touchdown gave Denver the lead for good in the fourth quarter.
Why the run game matters for Nix
Protection is the bigger reason. Nix has been pressured on 41.5% of his dropbacks through two weeks, according to PFF, and his grade under pressure ranks last among 32 qualifying passers. A credible run game slows the pass rush and cuts down on obvious passing downs.
It helped Sunday. Nix completed 22 of 31 passes for 288 yards, and Jaylen Waddle caught eight balls for 138 yards. After the go-ahead score, Denver picked up three first downs and ran off the final 4:41 to close it out.
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Payton wants that version of the offense to show up earlier. “I think it has to show itself,” he said on Monday. “There has to be a sense of urgency. We’re going to play in other games where that first half, for instance, won’t get it done. So, we have to have that sense of urgency so that it’s clear to everybody, ‘This is who we are.’”
Tight end Evan Engram sounded like a player who knows the answer. “The second half is what we see ourselves as,” he said.
The plan will get tested quickly. RJ Harvey was inactive in Week 2 with a hamstring injury, and first-year play-caller Davis Webb still has to prove he can stay patient when drives stall. The Los Angeles Rams visit Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday night.
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This story was originally published September 23, 2026 at 4:48 AM.