OFFENSE — F
Yikes. Bo Nix’s debut got off to a rough start and didn’t improve much as the afternoon progressed. He threw for just 67 yards in the first half, had one interception and four others that easily could have been, too. Nix didn’t wow with an array of big plays in training camp and the preseason, but he did do a good job of protecting the ball. Seattle’s defense had him out of sorts from the start.
Every time Denver’s run game started to get going, head coach Sean Payton seemed to get away from it. But fumbles by Audric Estime (recovered by Denver) and Jaleel McLaughlin (lost in the third quarter) certainly didn’t help any attempts at controlling the flow of the game.
Bottom line: This was a dud from the start to finish.
DEFENSE — B-
The Broncos’ defense had one hiccup in the first half but played lights-out otherwise. They harassed Geno Smith. They got an Alex Singleton interception. They forced two first-half safeties. The revamped defensive line paid immediate dividends and the duo of Jonathon Cooper and Baron Browning looked forceful off the edge.
As has been the case far too often in recent franchise history, this group had little margin or error against Seattle. Once the group got leaky in the second half — Kenneth Walker ran for 81 yards in the third quarter alone and the Broncos had a coverage bust on the first play of the fourth quarter — the game was out of reach.
SPECIAL TEAMS — A-
The area in which the Broncos excelled on Sunday. The kickoff rule change didn’t yield much excitement, but Denver’s punt team provided a couple of big plays. The biggest: A muffed punt recovered at the 9-yard line that set up the offense first-and-goal. Just as significant: Tremon Smith made a terrific play at the end of a Riley Dixon punt, killing it at the 1-yard line and setting up the second of a pair of first-half Broncos safeties.
COACHING — F
The defense came out humming. Special teams was on point. But the offensive game plan produced nothing from the start.
Even before Denver fell behind multiple scores late in the game, Denver had no balance offensively. Nix had 30 drop-backs compared to just 21 runs through the first three quarters. Denver started the afternoon with three tight ends but so often played out of empty.
Payton did have a good challenge on a spot early in the game and he got aggressive with his timeouts late in the half to generate another chance with the ball.
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