Rookie quarterback Bo Nix? He’s got plenty to correct after throwing for 138 yards on 42 attempts in the Broncos’ 26-20 season-opening loss at Seattle on Sunday.

Payton, though, reiterated the need for everybody else to help the 24-year-old more than they did in Week 1.

“I just watched a play where he climbs the pocket,” Payton said on his Monday conference call. “There were some bloody looks and he’s off schedule, throwing off the wrong foot. But I would say he’s doing what he has to on that play. There’s a dagger that opened up, but we’re not good in protection.”

The play Payton’s likely referencing came midway through the fourth quarter. Nix in preseason practices and games looked very comfortable with the dagger concept — where an outside receiver runs a deep in-cut into a void created by a slot receiver running a clear-out vertical route.

Earlier in the game on the same concept, Nix had a clean pocket and threw the ball on time, but airmailed Courtland Sutton on the in-cut. This time, Sutton came open again but Seattle rushers Leonard Williams and Boye Mafe ripped past guards Quinn Meinerz and Ben Powers, respectively, and buried Nix as he let the ball go.

The ball hit the turf harmlessly.

So Nix missed the first opportunity, and protection cost the second. That’s essentially the story of the afternoon for the Broncos.

Overall, though, Payton wasn’t going to criticize the way Nix played. He had a long list of issues with the Broncos’ offensive outing, but if he was displeased with Nix completing only two passes that traveled more than 10 yards downfield in the air or forcing two throws to Sutton that ended up intercepted, he didn’t say so.

“Certainly, I saw a three-step (drop) and a hitch instead of a five and a hitch on a certain play. We’ll get that cleaned up,” Payton said of Nix. “But overall, when he’s climbing a pocket or he’s on the move extending a play, there are times where the ball’s going to get away from you.”

Payton was not happy with Denver’s pass protection, saying that after he watched the film, “It’s kind of what I thought I saw from field level. It wasn’t good enough.”

Nix was pressured on 36.7% of his 49 dropbacks, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats. That tied for 11th highest in the league through Sunday’s games.

He took two sacks, scrambled five times for 35 yards and a touchdown and otherwise was on the move frequently.

Payton wasn’t done there.

“Our red-zone offense wasn’t nearly as good as it needed to be and we did have some drops early on,” said the veteran coach, who also thought Javonte Williams and Audric Estime had chances in the run game but didn’t have their eyes in the right spots. “I think when I watch this tape offensively, we need to be better around (Nix) and we will be.”

Bolles OK: Payton on Monday added confidence to his Sunday assertion that left tackle Garett Bolles had avoided serious injury to his ankle.

“All the X-rays were negative,” Payton said. “MRIs were negative. Good news there. Obviously, there’s a contusion. That’s what I know, and that’s a positive.”

Jones debut solid: Safety Brandon Jones debuted in game action Sunday after missing all meaningful preseason action with a hamstring injury.

He rotated some with Devon Key, but the free-agent addition from this spring played 46 snaps overall and looked comfortable

“We were pleased with, call it his ‘re-entry’ into a game,” Payton said. “I mentioned during the week that it was a little concerning. The worry is also a recurrence of an injury with someone who maybe hadn’t played as much.

“He’s really smart mentally, and he’ll be able to clean off some of the rust. Overall was pleased.”

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Quarterback Bo Nix under center. Running back Javonte Williams behind. Just one receiver in the formation but three tight ends.

Set up at the Seattle 20-yard line, Williams blasted for 9 yards as he wound back behind the left side of the offensive line and past an effective kickout block by tight end Adam Trautman.

Instead of stamping an early identity, though, the first play ended up fleeting in a 26-20 loss to the Seahawks. Rather than sticking to the run game when it worked early, head coach Sean Payton and the offense got tilted toward throwing the ball even before they fell behind and ultimately ended up with 49 drop-backs against just 20 non-quarterback runs.

“Heck no,” Payton said afterward when asked if that was the plan going in.

Denver churned out 5.1 yards per carry on its first nine Week 1 attempts. The Broncos held the lead at halftime despite failing in the red zone three times and generating just 27 total yards on their three field goal drives.

Instead of committing to the run game with the lead and a rookie quarterback in a hostile environment, the Broncos lost their way.

Instead of imposing their will behind a big, expensive offensive line, the Broncos were dictated to by a first-time head coach.

So perhaps the better question as it pertains to the Broncos run game isn’t if a 29% designed run rate (20 non-scramble runs on 69 offensive plays) was the plan against Seattle, but rather: What’s the plan going forward? What do the Broncos want their run-game identity to be? And do they have the stomach — or talent — to forge it?

“We’re not just going to be a spread, shotgun, RPO offense only,” Payton said Monday, referring to run-pass options. “There’s times when I don’t want the ‘P’ in the RPO. There’s times when you want to be able to control the game and run it regardless of the front and the coverage.”

Denver’s run-game efficiency was at best hit-and-miss. That despite entering the season with an offensive line with four starters who are making $12 million or more this year and own four of the 11 highest salary cap charges on the roster.

Right guard Quinn Meinerz said his unit has to protect Nix better when he drops back to pass, “but also create a good run game for him as well so we can marry all these things together instead of having to drop back 40 times.”

Added Payton, “One of the key things that was important in this game was winning the run-game battle, and we weren’t able to do that. We struggled. Efficiency on first and second down was one of our keys to victory and we were anything but.”

With the ball and a 13-9 lead to open the second half, Jaleel McLaughlin was dropped for minus-4 on the first play. Three-and-out.

On the next drive, McLaughlin ripped off a 15-yard run — the Broncos’ longest rush of the day — so Payton went back to the well. Except Audric Estime picked up 2 on first down and McLaughlin was stuffed for minus-3 on second-and-8. Drive scuttled. McLaughlin fumbled on a third-and-11 reception to make matters worse.

“There’s always that balance of, man, we’re attempting to and then it’s hard to keep (doing it),” Payton said. “And so whether it’s base personnel, we’re going to look at the tape and we’re going to say this and that, but we’ve got to evaluate — us as coaches — we’ve got to evaluate the run plan and why it wasn’t as effective as we would like.

“It’s going to be hard to play quarterback, period if that’s the best we can do running the ball.”

In Payton’s tenure, the Broncos have been a purveyor of much and master of little in the run game. They’re some inside zone and some outside. Some gap and some duo. The occasional designed quarterback stuff, though none Sunday with Nix.

But in gotta-have-it moments or in that moment when they have a chance to take control of a game, they’ve rarely accomplished it. There’s a reason the team was so ebullient after a 29-12 win over Cleveland last year. They dominated a tough, physical, eventual playoff team and imposed their will while bulling to 162 rushing yards.

How many other times has that happened? Sunday was the eighth time in 18 games under Payton that the Broncos have failed to hit 100 rushing yards in a game.

They’ve still got time to make strides this fall, of course. Payton often talks about the race through the first quarter of the season as the period in which teams make the most strides in determining who they are and how to maximize that.

Whether the Broncos figure out what they want to be about on the ground will go a long way toward setting the ceiling and the floor for 2024.

One small thing to like: DE Zach Allen didn’t light up the box score, but he played 65 of 67 snaps, generated a pair of pressures, tackled RB Zach Charbonnet for a safety and overall he looks set to benefit significantly from Denver’s overhauled defensive line.

One small thing to dislike: Nix looked like he started to back out from under center Luke Wattenberg early on a first-and-goal snap from the 9-yard line on the Broncos’ best early scoring chance. The false start cost Denver 5 yards after a muffed punt and JL Skinner recovery set the offense up beautifully. The offense went three-and-out and settled for a FG and an 8-3 lead.

One number that jumps out: Just 12 offensive snaps for Marvin Mims Jr., the 2023 second-round pick. That was fifth-most among receivers for the Broncos. Matchup-driven or a continuation of his relatively quiet camp?

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Life comes at you fast in the regular season.

On the second snap of his career, Nix walked to the line of scrimmage just 11 yards from the end zone thanks to an Alex Singleton interception and run-back and then a 9-yard rumble from Javonte Williams on first down.

By the last snap of the afternoon — ironically a 4-yard Nix touchdown run — Denver’s offense had not only squandered too many opportunities and struggled mightily in almost every critical department against the Seahawks in a 26-20 loss, but it felt anything but set up for quick success going forward.

“It was tough to get some explosive plays, and I think, when you have a hard time getting explosives, you’ve got to sustain drives,” Nix said afterward. “If they can get you in third-and-long and third-and — just tough situations.

“Overall, I think, as poorly as we did, I think we gave ourselves a chance to win there at the end.”

That they did. The Broncos came within a one-handed Tyler Lockett catch of getting the ball back with just less than two minutes to go and a chance to win the game.

Instead, Nix’s first outing finished at 26 of 42 for 138 yards, a pair of sacks, a pair of interceptions and 47.5 quarterback rating.

The list of concerns goes well beyond a rookie quarterback making his first regular-season start, but Nix’s outing stood out as problematic because of how he struggled.

During training camp and in the preseason, he made calm, quick decisions.

On Sunday, his play too often felt rushed.

During the summer, he threw the ball mostly accurately in the middle of the field and, when he missed, he did so by relatively narrow margins.

On Sunday, Nix sailed the ball over Courtland Sutton’s head early, threw behind too many receivers over the middle of the field and during one trip to the red zone might have only been spared an interception because he missed badly rather than narrowly.

During the weeks in which he won a three-man quarterback competition over Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, Nix drew plaudits for his ability to consistently keep the Denver offense on the move and the manner in which he protected the football.

On Sunday, the Broncos offense went three-and-out seven times, saw two other drives end in Nix interceptions and was fortunate to not have the Seahawks come down with three or four other passes driven into harm’s way.

“I felt the whole time he was into it, competing,” Payton said of Nix, whom he repeatedly defended while speaking to reporters after the loss.

A day that began with the Denver defense and special teams setting up the offense with prime opportunities time after time eventually ended with Payton saying Nix played fine and stayed composed but everybody else needed to do more to help him out.

“Our protection was average at best,” Payton said. “And I believe this: At one point in the game, I came to the bench and talked to the receivers and said, ‘Look, let’s go,’ you know?

“I don’t know how many drops we had, but, man, let’s help this guy.”

That may well be true. Lil’Jordan Humphrey dropped a pass for a first down early on and Courtland Sutton — limited to four catches on a team-high 12 targets — maybe could have made an acrobatic catch on a high throw over the middle for a chunk gain. Broncos running backs churned away early but too often Denver’s skill players were stopped in their tracks in the open field by Seattle tacklers who played without fear of getting beat deep and thus rallied to the football aggressively.

But this much is also clear: Nix will have to play his current game much cleaner or add some arrows to his quiver in the coming weeks before the Broncos offense strikes any fear in opposing defenses.

That’s not all on the rookie quarterback. If Denver’s going to win as currently constructed, the offense can’t afford to generate 1 or fewer yards on 46% of its first-down snaps (12 of 26) like it did Sunday, according to The Post’s tracking.

The offense can’t face 18 third downs, let alone seven from 8 yards or farther — the Broncos converted two of those against Seattle but also had an interception and a fumble on third-and-longs.

NFL teams won’t win many games when they give up 144 yards and two touchdowns on the ground like the Broncos surrendered to Seattle in Week 1.

And yet, Nix’s outing will generate the most consternation because of what it was and what it wasn’t.

Nix averaged 2.5 air yards per completion Sunday, tied for second-fewest through the late afternoon games according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. All three rookies who made their debuts were in the bottom five, with Chicago’s Caleb Williams at 2.7 and Washington’s Jayden Daniels at 1.6.

Nix, according to The Associated Press, had the third-lowest average yards per completion (5.3) ever for a quarterback who completed at least 20 passes in a game.

On passes that traveled more than 10 yards in the air, Nix finished 2 of 12 for 42 yards and two interceptions.

The first was an underthrow for Sutton in the red zone.

“That was, I felt like, a bad decision,” Nix said. “We would have had points. They got the ball at the 1 and we got a safety after that, so our defense bailed us out.”

The next pick was later in the game when he tried to force a ball into triple coverage to Sutton.

Nix certainly is not the first rookie to struggle in his first game. He’s been widely lauded by Broncos coaches and teammates as a quick study.

One game doesn’t make a season, let alone a career.

The quicker the improvement the better, however, because next up is Pittsburgh and defensive guru Mike Tomlin and the schedule doesn’t relent after that.

“I don’t think we were far off,” Nix said. “There’s always going to be — even if we won that game, we’re going to go in (to the film room) and correct it the same way. So find ways to run plays as efficient as possible and stay out of third-and-longs. Overall, find ways to get a win in these tough games.”

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They hit adversity up front in the first game of 2024.

Left tackle Garett Bolles left the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury and didn’t return.

Bolles, Denver’s longest-tenured player, went back to the locker room area and had an MRI, head coach Sean Payton said. Then he returned to the sideline and had his helmet on and a couple of times tried to run back onto the field.

Instead, he watched from the sideline down the stretch.

“I think he’s going to be fine,” Payton said. “He had an MRI and I think the evaluation was fine. He has a bruise.”

Bolles declined to speak with reporters at his locker after the game, walked gingerly and had several teammates approach him to offer support.

His last play of the game was a third-and-6 with 13 minutes, 45 seconds remaining. He missed the offense’s final 15 snaps. Matt Peart, the fifth-year NFL player who signed with Denver as a free agent this spring, filled in for Bolles over the final two drives. Peart also served as the Broncos’ jumbo tight end, a role that Quinn Bailey held until he broke his leg in training camp.

Vele’s debut. Nobody’s going to put up big numbers when a team finishes with 138 passing yards. Still, rookie wide receiver Devaughn Vele showed he’ll be a regular part of the offense in his NFL debut, catching all eight passes thrown his way.

The grabs only generated 39 yards, but the seventh-round pick was a frequent target of fellow rookie Bo Nix.

“It was good exposure and I was happy with the fight that we showed,” Vele said of his first outing. “Obviously it didn’t go the way that we wanted it to, but there’s a lot on the film that we can learn from and continue to take each week.”

Vele didn’t have a catch longer than 9 yards.

“I’m not too worried about stats,” Vele said. “I’m just trying to contribute and help the team where I can. If that means I get 10 catches or zero catches, at the end of the day that doesn’t matter. I’ve just got to do my job and contribute.”

Surtain’s quality outing. Cornerback Pat Surtain II started game week with a four-year, $96 million extension and then showed why he’s worth the money in Week 1. The Broncos’ All-Pro for the most part traveled with top Seattle receiver DK Metcalf.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Surtain was lined up across from Metcalf on 24 of the 25 routes he ran in the game.

Metcalf finished with three catches on four targets for 29 yards total.

Singleton’s pick. Inside linebacker Alex Singleton intercepted Seattle quarterback Geno Smith on the second play of the game.

The interception was Singleton’s first as a Bronco and just the third of his NFL career. It was his first pick since Dec. 26, 2021, when he played for Philadelphia.

Inactives. The Broncos entered Sunday with a healthy 53-man roster and thus had only healthy scratches for the game. Their inactives: TE Lucas Krull, DL Eyioma Uwazurike and four rookies — WR Troy Franklin, RB Blake Watson, OT Frank Crum and CB Kris Abrams-Draine. QB Zach Wilson was also technically inactive but was in uniform as the Broncos’ designated emergency third quarterback.

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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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Live updates

FINAL | Seahawks 26, Broncos 20

It was a rough debut for Bo Nix as the Broncos rookie quarterback threw two interceptions in a 26-20 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday.

Nix, however, did have one highlight late in the fourth quarter when he scrambled for a 4-yard score to earn his first NFL touchdown.

More Broncos coverage

• PHOTOS: Denver Broncos drop season opener to Seattle Seahawks 26-20 in week 1 of the NFL season.
• Broncos LT Garett Bolles “going to be fine” after missing final two drives with ankle injury, HC Sean Payton says.
• Bo Nix Watch: Poor decisions stall rookie quarterback’s Broncos debut.
• Broncos Four Downs: Did Seahawks figure out Vance Joseph’s defense in the second half?
• Broncos report card: Bo Nix’s debut, Sean Payton’s offensive plan get failing grades in Week 1 loss.
• WATCH: Broncos rookie Bo Nix scores 1st NFL touchdown, a 4-yard scramble

Fourth-quarter updates

A second chance (5:18 p.m.): Baron Browning jumps offside on third down. We’re going to do this thing again. — Schubert

Third and a chance (5:16 p.m.): It’s going to be third-and-long here. Interested to see whether Seattle elects to pass here. — Schubert

Stop needed (5:13 p.m.): Two timeouts and the two-minute warning to work with for the Broncos’ defense. Need a three-and-out. — Gabriel

Bo Nix, touchdown (5:11 p.m.): Bo Nix’s first TD comes on the ground. A 4-yard scramble for the score. Gives Broncos a few breaths of life. They trail 26-20 with 2:09 left. — Renck

Bo Nix scores his first NFL TD!

: #DENvsSEA on CBS/Paramount+
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/R9BWx51L53

— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024

Big gain (5:07 p.m.): Using his legs, Bo Nix scrambled for a 23-yard gain. On the day, he has four carries for 31 yards, the most on the team. — Nguyen

Another pick for Nix (5:01 p.m.): Bo Nix got into a little rhythm then throws into triple coverage for his second pick. Rookie quarterbacks will fall to 4-15 at Lumen Field. — Renck

Let’s call this a learning experience for Bo Nix. Two picks on the day, and honestly, it should probably be many more.

A reminder, he threw three INTs all of last season at Oregon. — Schubert

Tight-end connection (5 p.m.): Two straight possessions feature a Broncos tight end short of the sticks on third down. Sound familiar? — Schubert

Touchdown, Seattle (4:41 p.m.): A 30-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Zach Charbonnet gives Seattle a bigger lead. Seahawks 26, Broncos 13. — Nguyen

And that will do it. Seattle goes up 26-13. Might as well be 56-13. — Renck

Another Seahawks touchdown, this time on a wheel route, and this game appears to be all but over. Seattle leads 26-13 and the Broncos offense has shown zero signs it has the ability to answer. — Schubert

Third-quarter analysis — Seahawks 19, Broncos 13

Parker Gabriel, beat writer: A six-point lead might be enough for Seattle already. But a TD for Mike Macdonald’s team at the end of this drive early in the fourth quarter would feel like a putaway punch.

Ryan McFadden, beat writer: The Broncos are only down six points, but this game feels like its over. I can’t see this offense turning things around. Nix is overmatched and Denver’s run defense has fallen apart.

Troy Renck, sports columnist: Broncos play with no margin for error. Defense, terrific in first half, is getting gashed. And offense can’t stay on the field. Not establishing run has bit them. Nix is averaging 2.68 yards per attempt. That is all-time bad.

Matt Schubert, sports editor: If you thought the Broncos’ run defense troubles were behind them, the last 15 minutes argued otherwise. Whether that’s because they’ve spent way too much time on the field due to the offense’s ineptitude, or they have real problems is immaterial. This one is quickly slipping away.

Third-quarter updates

Third-down issues (4:35 p.m.): Sean Payton goes nuclear, wanting PI. Sutton appeared to be grabbed early in the route. Broncos fail to convert on third down. And the beat goes on. They are 4-for-15 on third down. — Renck

Can’t stop the run (4:32 p.m.): The defense that had carried the Broncos to a halftime lead has not looked good to start the second half. Seattle now has 134 yards on 21 carries. Obviously, that’s not going to get it done. — SChubert

Three more (4:30 p.m.): The Broncos dodge a bullet with DK Metcalf flagged for holding on a play that likely would’ve been a touchdown anyway. Denver keeps the Seahawks out of the end zone after that. It’s now 19-13 Seattle with 4:12 left in the third quarter. — Schubert

Huge holding call on DK Metcalf negated TD. It keeps Broncso in game. Had they gone up 23-13 this game was over given Denver’s offensive ineptitude. — Renck

Penalty woes (4:25 p.m.): Another pass interference flag on the Broncos. Denver now has seven penalties for 55 yards and the Seahawks are driving. If Seattle goes up by two scores, this one might be out of reach. — Schubert

Injury update (4:21 p.m.): Trainer is looking at and re-taping RB Audric Estime’s right ankle on the Broncos’ bench. — Gabriel

Fumbled, lost (4:20 p.m.): Jaleel McLaughlin coughs it up on third-and-long near midfield with the Broncos trying to play field position, and this thing has a chance to go from bad to worse. — Schubert

Broncos start to run well and abandon it. Then McLaughlin fumbles on short reception. Seahawks in business at the Broncos’ 47-yard line. Per my man Parker, Broncos have 29 drop backs and 19 rushes.. That’s not going to work. Not at all. — Renck

Touchdown, Seattle (4:12 p.m.): Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III slipped past the Broncos defense en route to a 23-yard touchdown. Seahawks 16, Broncos 13. — Nguyen

It appears the Broncos run defense from 2023 emerged from the halftime locker room. Seattle just shoved the ball down their throats with Kenneth Walker III.

The last run goes for a touchdown — easy enough that the Michigan State product could do an exaggerated dive into the end zone. Looks like Bo Nix is going to have to make some plays to win this one. — Schubert

Kenneth Walker 23-yard TD run… Moss had chance at tackle but got off block late and missed tackle. Walker scores and with the PAT. Seahawks lead 16-13 with 10:44 left. It was six plays, 61 yards, 2:47 off the clock. Offense has to do something. Anything. Not winning this games with safeties and field goals. — Renck

Not a good time for the Broncos’ defense to have a leaky moment. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but not much margin for error with the way the Denver offense is playing. — Gabriel

Three-and-out (4:05 p.m.): Loss of yardage on a first down sweep. Second-down pass bounced into the turf. Then a delay of game penalty. Safe to say the Broncos didn’t figure a whole lot of things out during the halftime break.

Three-and-out as the Broncos do nothing but march backward to start the second half. This game is going to be on the defense. The good news: They’ve been up to the task so far. — Schubert

Halftime analysis — Broncos 13, Seahawks 9

Parker Gabriel, beat writer: This has been one of the stranger halves of football I’ve seen. Somehow seems fitting for this team. But for as rough as the operation was offensively for Denver, they’ve got the lead, start the second half with the ball and the defense has been humming.

Maybe, just maybe, a heavy dose of the run game would be a good play to start the half.

Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Denver’s defense has been the highlight of the game. The Broncos have recorded two safeties and an interception while they have done well at pressuring Geno Smith. Bo Nix looked nervous throughout the first half as the majority of his throws have been off target. Maybe, Nix can build off his completion to Josh Reynolds that set up the field goal in the closing seconds of the quarter.

Troy Renck, sports columnist: Hard to believe Nix can place worse than he did in first half and Broncos lead 13-9. They have run a lot of plays, but the idea is never to throw this much on road with a rookie. Rookies are 4-14 in Lumen Field. Gotta run ball better. But the reality is they are leading because of Vance Joseph’s hair on fire defense. Can the offense do enough in second half to pull off the upset?

Matt Schubert, sports editor: Bo Nix has been bad. And the Broncos are still ahead 13-9 at the break. All things considered, that’s not a bad place to be starting a rookie quarterback on the road in Week 1. Thank Jonathon Cooper and the Broncos defensive front, which has been absolutely lights out.

Second-quarter updates

Three more (3:46 p.m.): Broncos’ Wil Lutz with the 45-yard field goal give give the Broncos a 13-9 lead with two seconds to go. — Nguyen

Broncos get 45-yard FG from Lutz to increase lead to 13-9. Nix throw to Reynolds set it up. Nix is 12-for-22 for 67 yards. Maybe that last 25-yard strike will shake him into rhythm. Been late and behind on throws all day. But #Broncos lead 13-9 at half because of 3 FGs and 2 safeties. First time had two safeties in a game since 1982. — Renck

Make-up play (3:45 p.m.): After looking like he dropped a pass from Bo Nix, Josh Reynolds a 25-yard pass from Nix to give Denver the first down. — Nguyen

Just off target (3:45 p.m.): Everything over the middle from Bo Nix so far has been behind the receiver. Again there to Reynolds. — Gabriel

Rookie jitters (3:42 p.m.): Throughout that defensive possession for the Broncos, Jarrett Stidham was talking with Nix on the bench. Looked like he was trying to impart on Nix to settle down. Davis Webb there, too. — Gabriel

No safety (3:41 p.m.): If you were hoping for a third safety on third-and-long at the Seahawks 1, you will come away disappointed. Still, the Broncos have a shot at more points if they can get this punt near midfield. — Schubert

Slow getting up (3:41 p.m.): Jonathon Cooper jogging off slowly after last play. Was favoring his right leg. But appears OK. — Renck

Sacked (3:38 p.m.): Jonathon Cooper with his second sack of the game. He was serious when he said he wanted 10 or more sacks this season. — McFadden

Cooper on pace for 34 sacks this year. #WayTooEarlyStats — Nguyen

Rough debut (3:37 p.m.): And just like that, Nix threw the ball into a defender’s chest and nearly had his second interception of the game. — McFadden

Well, the Bo Nix “almost picked” counter is now at 4 after another sloppy throw. — Schubert

Nix is playing awful. Should have 3 or 4 picks. But defense playing with hair on fire. Compensating for the offensive ineptitude, save for Geno Smith’s 34-yard run. — Renck

Momentum building? (3:34 p.m.): See if that 17-yard completion on the run from Bo Nix to Courtland Sutton settles the QB in a bit. Nice play to keep the drive moving. — Gabriel

Bo Nix with his first big play of the game, a scrambling third-down completion to Courtland Sutton. Broncos are in business. — Schubert

41 years (3:31 p.m.): Last time Broncos had two safeties in a game was Jan. 2, 1983. They had safeties by Boyd and Chavous. They lost 13-11 to Seattle in Kingdome. — Renck

This might be weirdest half of football I’ve covered in my life. — McFadden

10 the hard way (3:29 p.m.): Broncos have 10 points on two FGs — set up by an INT and a muffed punt — and two safeties. A resplendent start for Vance Joseph’s defense. — Gabriel

The safety dance (3:27 p.m.): Make that two safeties for Denver today. Broncos 10, Seahawks 9. — Nguyen

Yes, ANOTHER, safety. Zach Allen busts through the line and drops the Seattle running back right at the goal line. What a half for the defensive line. — Schubert

No worries? (3:27 p.m.): Not sure whether to be encouraged that the Broncos are still in this game despite the QB looking this shaky, or discouraged that they aren’t winning with the defense looking (mostly) this good. — Schubert

Perfection (3:26 p.m.): Riley Dixon with the perfect pitching wedge punt. Pins Seattle at 1-yard line. #Broncos best offense is their defense. Time for another safety, it appears. — Renck

The play that set up the safety

: CBS
pic.twitter.com/wpHYC3DODZ

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 8, 2024

Bo struggles (3:24 p.m.): Bo Nix could easily have four picks right now. Sean Payton desperately needs his run game to show up, because the rookie quarterback is struggling. — Schubert

Bo Nix looks spooked every time he drops back. — McFadden

We’ve seen some bouts of inaccuracy from Bo Nix in camp, especially over the middle, but not by these kind of margins.

Rough outing so far for the Broncos rookie QB. — Gabriel

Touchdown, Seahawks (3:18 p.m.): Geno Smith with nifty run and shoulder fake to race 34 yards for score. Seattle leads 9-8 as crowd breaks into “Geno!!!” Two-point conversion fails. — Renck

As well as this Broncos defense has played, they’re down by one in the second quarter.

P.J. Locke has got to make that tackle on Geno Smith in the open field. — Schubert

Rhythm in Seattle (3:17 p.m.): Geno Smith finding a little rhythm now. Metcalf over the middle and back-shouder to Lockett against Moss. Seahawks are moving. — Gabriel

Gnarly tackle (3:17 p.m.): Baron Browning goes Simone Biles on the tackle, flipping upside down to get assist on a tackle. That is a big man going head over heels. — Renck

Baron Browning just tried to do a Canadian Destroyer to Kenneth Walker III. — Nguyen

Three more (3:10 p.m.): Despite starting on Seattle’s 9-yard line, Denver couldn’t move the ball in the red zone. A 30-yard field goal gives the Broncos an 8-3 lead. — Nguyen

More conservative play-calling from Sean Payton. Two straight runs to start this drive inside the Seattle 15 gain only a couple of yards. And then third down falls incomplete after Bo Nix tries to squeeze a ball into Courtland Sutton in double coverage. — Schubert

Nix was on time and on target in preseason. Pressure is different in regular season. Nix feeling heat … mechanics are off. He has been late on multiple throws. Last pass was so bad it didn’t get picked off. Caught a break.

Payton is trying to protect Nix with conservative play calling. But playing this safe is playing to lose. Going to have to have somebody make a play in red zone because, and you all know, field goals lose road games. — Renck

Muffed punt (3:06 p.m.): Seattle muffs the punt. Denver gets the ball on the Seattle 9. — Nguyen

And now we’ve got a muffed punt for the Seahawks. Broncos ball inside the Seattle 10-yard line, but a false start moves them back right off the bat. Seattle is serving this game on a platter. Can Denver take it? — Schubert

Safety (3:02 p.m.): A holding call on Seattle from their own 1-yard line gives the Broncos a safety. Broncos 5, Seahawks 3. — Nguyen

The Broncos defensive line has been the star of the game so far. D.J. Jones’ push forces a hold in the end zone and a safety. What a start for Vance Joseph’s crew. — Schubert

Lesson learned (2:58 p.m.): Bo Nix gets his first rookie lesson. Don’t do that. — Schubert

Bo Nix makes first mistake … drifted in pocket … threw off back foot. Ball floated into double coverage and was easily picked. Sutton had no chance. If going to make that throw, have to step up and drive ball. Nix also got hit on play. But it was a bad decision. No way around it. — Renck

Sean Payton hated the way the Broncos played in the red zone last year — and was particularly frustrated with Russell Wilson’s production in that department. Two first-half trips so far today: A field goal and a Bo Nix INT. — Gabriel

First-quarter analysis — Broncos 3, Seahawks 3

Parker Gabriel, beat writer: Dink, dunk, dink, dunk.

Bo Nix is 6/9 for 21 yards. Broncos have just two first downs. Vance Joseph’s defense has been really good so far.

Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Denver’s defense has looked solid. The Broncos held Seattle to 38 total yards and 0 for 3 on third down. Broncos have done well from a pass rush standpoint, as Bonitto, Allen, Cooper and Jones were able to get to Smith.

Troy Renck, sports columnist: Broncos looking to make this a rockfight. Defense playing with aggression and purpose. Offense has been conservative with no deep strikes. Going to have to hit one to win this game.

Matt Schubert, sports editor: The defense is doing what it needs to give Bo Nix a shot in his first NFL start. Javonte Williams has shown some early burst. and Nix has been fine. More Devaughn Vele. Less Lil’Jordan Humphrey, please.

First-quarter updates

Aired out (2:51 p.m.): OK, so maybe there’s a reason why Bo’s been so conservative. His first deep pass SAILS and is nearly picked. — Schubert

Challenge good (2:49 p.m.): Sean Payton rightfully challenges that spot and wins. We’ve got a drive going for Denver. — Schubert

Bo’s legs (2:47 p.m.): Pretty sure Bo Nix hasn’t throw a pass that’s traveled farther than 8 yards downfield so far today. That being said, that spot was absolutely horrific. Nix clearly got a first down on that scramble and dove forward. — Schubert

Tied up (2:42 p.m.): A seven-play, 46-yard Seattle drive leads to FG.. Game tied at 3. Bonitto roughing the passer wasn’t egregious, but it cost the Broncos 3 points. — Renck

Broncos get the Seahawks off the field with a defensive back blitz. Plenty of pressure from the pass rush early on. Very encouraging sign. — Schubert

Joseph’s showing all kinds of stuff early. Got Bonitto as a free-runner on that third down. Impressive stuff from the defense overall and the front in particular.

Also an encouraging start from Riley Moss. He’s feisty and not afraid to play in the run game. — Gabriel

Shadow (2:40 p.m.): Pat Surtain II’s been traveling with DK Metcalf so far. Good-on-good matchup there. — Gabriel

A first (2:35 p.m.): Alex Singleton’s interception was his first in a Broncos uniform and first since Dec. 26, 2021 when he played for Philadelphia. — Gabriel

Dropped (2:33 p.m.): Lil’Jordan Humphrey drops Nix’s pass attempt on third down, forcing the Broncos to punt. The ball was placed perfectly in Humphrey’s hands but he couldn’t secure the grab. — McFadden

Defensive numbers (2:31 p.m.): After three possessions, the Broncos have one sack, one turnover, three quarterback hits and two pass deflections.

Oh, and two tackles for a loss. — Schubert

Pass-rush strong early (2:29 p.m.): Zach Allen loves playing with JFM. Teams can’t pay so much attention to him and he took advantage, there, pressuring Geno Smith on third-and-long. — Gabriel

The Broncos pass rush has shown up in a big way early on. — Schubert

Defense rolling (2:27 p.m.): Nik Bonitto rocking his new number 15 gets the tackle. And there’s a hold on the play. Seahawks offense finding tough sledding. Riley Moss gets tackle for loss. Looked like he was bulldogging in rodeo arena. — Renck

Defensive switch (2:25 p.m.): Devon Key in the game at safety with Locke for the second series.

Sean Payton indicated Friday that Brandon Jones might be on something of a limited workload given he missed most of camp with a hamstring injury. — Gabriel

Three-and-out (2:22 p.m.): Three pass attempts, three completions for Bo Nix on his second drive. Unfortunately the Broncos only gained 5 yards. A punt back to Seattle. — Nguyen

Through two series, Bo Nix is 3/4 for 5 yards and the Broncos have gone three-and-out twice. Long way to go, obviously, but playing in the regular season is a lot different than the preseason. — Gabriel

For historians: On first and 10 from 35, Bo Nix completed first pass to Jaleel McLaughlin on rollout right for two yards. He followed with a short pass that went for minus-1 yard. But he already has more completions than John Elway had in his opening debut in 1983. Elway went 1-for-8 and was benched. But Broncos won. — Renck

Sean Payton and Co. aren’t doing a lot to dispel the notion that Bo Nix doesn’t throw the ball down the field. We’re two possessions in and nothing past the sticks. — Schubert

Money well earned (2:18 p.m.): That is why you pay Pat Surtain II. First time Seahawks go to D.K. Metcalf, Surtain knocks it away. Looks like Surtain is following top receiver today. Will see if that holds. — Renck

This just in: Pat Surtain II is good. — Gabriel

Pat Surtain II once again shows why you pay him the big bucks. — McFadden

Encourage defense (2:15 p.m.): Looking forward to seeing what Denver’s defense does after forcing a turnover to start the game. The Broncos needed to improve on their pass rush. Jones and Cooper getting to the quarterback on back-to-back plays is a encouraging sign. — McFadden

CU sighting (2:14 p.m.): Former CU receiver Laviska Shenault took that kick return for the Seahawks. Seattle will start on the 27-yard line. — Nguyen

Field goal (2:11 p.m.): Broncos take a 3-0 lead after Wil Lutz’s 35-yard field goal attempt. Broncos 3, Seahawks 0. — McFadden

Javonte Williams slips on second play and Bo Nix incompletion brings out FG team.. Thought we were going to see tush push with Riley Dixon, but was used only to try and draw Seattle offsides. Didn’t work. Lutz with short FG. #Broncos lead 3-0 w 12:36 remaining in half. Really needed to steal 7 there. But a lead is a lead. — Renck

Broncos go three-and-out after a 9-yard run on first down.

Nix *maybe* could have tried to pick up third-and-2 with his legs, but instead Denver settles for a FG.

Red zone always critical and the first trip there this fall is an unsatisfying one. — Gabriel

And picked (2:08 p.m.): More pressure from the Broncos’ front line and he throws a dart straight into Alex Singleton’s hands. Broncos ball. — Nguyen

START US OFF, @alexsingleton49!

: CBS pic.twitter.com/8pdkaMf01S

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 8, 2024

Jonathon Cooper with sack on first play. On second play, Alex Singleton with interception as DJ Jones wrapped up Smith. Huge start for Denver. — Renck

Sacked (2:07 p.m.): Jonathon Cooper records the first sack of the season for Denver. A 7-yard loss for Seattle. — Nguyen

Coin toss (2:03 p.m.): Broncos have all six captains at midfield for the coin toss.

Pat Surtain calls tails and it is. Denver defers to the second half. — Gabriel

It’s about that time. Anthem singer had false start. Started before PA was done talking. And pretty sure there will be an illegal formation called as well.

Broncos win toss and will kick. Will see new-look defense first. The Broncos beefed up their DLine to improve their run defense. But there are questions in secondary. This will be debut of foursome Brandon Jones, P.J. Locke, Riley Moss and Pat Surtain II. — Renck

Pre-game updates

Weather (1:52 p.m.): 73 degrees, mostly cloudy, 7 mph wind and 72% humidity as we approach kickoff. Peak PNW. — Gabriel

Countdown (1:19 p.m.): Broncos are on the field for warmups with 47 minutes on the clock before kickoff. Sean Payton’s on the sideline chatting with owners Carrie Walton Penner and Greg Penner. — Gabriel

Broncos inactives (12:36 p.m.): TE Lucas Krull, WR Troy Franklin, DL Eyioma Uwazurike, RB Blake Watson, CB Kris Abrams-Draine and OL Frank Crum. Zach Wilson is listed as the emergency third quarterback. — McFadden

Only surprise on the inactives from my point of view is maybe Kris Abrams-Draine. He was a special teams regular in camp. But Levi Wallace is healthy after missing a big chunk of camp and slots in as the next CB up behind Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss. — Gabriel

Good morning from the Pacific Northwest (12:18 p.m.): It’s hazy but dry here in Seattle. Bo Nix was out on the field with Jarrett Stidham a little more than two hours before kickoff. Intriguing opener here both considering Nix is making his regular-season debut and that the Seahawks feature a new head coach and new coordinators on both sides of the ball. — Gabriel

Scouting report (11 a.m.): Check out how the Broncos match up with the Seahawks in Ryan McFadden’s scouting report.

Game predictions

Parker Gabriel, beat writer: Seahawks 17, Broncos 16

The Broncos have lost their last two season openers by this score, including one at Lumen Field. So why not another? OK, that’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but this has the feel of a feel-out game. Denver is trying to learn what it has in Bo Nix, and Seattle is going out under head coach Mike Macdonald for the first time. The Broncos cover, but start 0-1 for a fifth time in six years.

Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Seahawks 21, Broncos 20

History will not be on Bo Nix’s side on Sunday. Rookie quarterbacks are 0-7-1 in Week 1 in the last five seasons. Nix will put up modest numbers in his debut but it won’t be enough to beat the Seahawks in a hostile environment. Mike Macdonald earns his first win as a head coach but Denver will leave Seattle optimistic about Nix’s ability as a starter.

Troy Renck, columnist: Seahawks 23, Broncos 20

The Broncos have been energized by young players and rookie quarterback Bo Nix. There is every reason to believe they will use their underdog status to overachieve this season. It just won’t be in the opener at Seattle. Too many numbers suggest that even if Nix plays well, the Broncos will lose.

Sean Keeler, columnist: Seahawks 23, Broncos 20

Welcome to the Big Show, Bo Nix! For all the chatter about Seattle tailback Kenneth Walker III vs. the Broncos’ run defense, that’s not what nags you. What nags you is what happens when Geno Smith realizes he’s got DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett or Smith-Njigba isolated 1-on-1 against Riley Moss. Or just starts looking for wherever Moss happens to be and decides he’ll take his chances. If the Broncos hold up their end at CB2, they can hang. But that’s a massive, Godzilla-sized “if.” Especially when you can’t hear yourself think.

Broncos-Seahawks NFL Week 1: Must-reads

Broncos’ primary early-season task: Find way to start faster than last year’s 1-5 disaster

Sean Payton went deep into his bag of tricks last year to try to jumpstart his first Broncos team in Week 1.

Denver attempted a surprise onside kick to open the 2023 season against Las Vegas and came within about a foot of success, but Tremon Smith touched the ball a shade before it traveled 10 yards. The surprise onside, of course, is no longer available to NFL teams with the new dynamic kickoff rule in place. Last year’s gambit cost the Broncos valuable field position in a game they ultimately lost by one point.

Some way, somehow, though, Payton’s team has to find a way to start faster Sunday against Seattle and early in the season, Parker Gabriel reports.

Broncos Journal: After facing uncertainty on cutdown day, undrafted rookies Blake Watson, Frank Crum hope for prosperous future in Denver

Broncos running back Blake Watson tried his best to treat Aug. 27 as a regular day.

Denver was in the process of trimming its roster down to 53 players, and Watson spent half the day at the training facility before returning to his hotel room, where his mind began to wander. As an undrafted rookie out of Memphis, the odds were already stacked against Watson when he arrived in Denver in the spring.

Now that the moment of truth had arrived, he asked himself if there was more he could have done to strengthen his case for a roster spot. Even though head coach Sean Payton made it seem like Watson had a future in Denver, nothing was certain until the clock struck 2 p.m., Ryan McFadden reports.

Renck: Can Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix find instant success in Seattle? The numbers say no.

Stats vs. Trust. One of these variables will determine whether Bo Nix wins his debut on Sunday. And the numbers don’t add up.

I love the Broncos as a surprise team this season, but don’t like them in Week 1. When coach Sean Payton named Nix the starter, it made sense. He earned it. He is ready. Teammates believe in him.

Lost in the optimism is a sobering reality: There are few places worse for him to launch his career than Seattle, Troy Renck writes.

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Roaring start. What a way to start the season. Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes looked like the two best quarterbacks on the planet. No surprise there. And the Chiefs prevailed in crunch time. Also as we’ve all come to expect. The two-time reigning Super Bowl champs are off and running. Who is capable of catching them? Could it be the Ravens in late January?

Joey B.’s return. Joe Burrow was just rounding into MVP-esque form last year when an injury ended his season. The Bengals were 5-4 at the time of the injury but looked to be back in contention given his play and the talent around the quarterback. Now he’s back and, if he plays 17 games, Burrow could well be an MVP contender this year. The game’s better with the top quarterbacks at full health, so welcome back, Joe.

Sophomoric behavior. Speaking of top quarterbacks, C.J. Stroud put together a sensational rookie year for Houston and now starts Year 2 against Indianapolis. The Colts got a promising glimpse of Anthony Richardson, taken two spots after Stroud at No. 4 in the 2023 draft, last year before a shoulder injury cost him the rest of the season. Now he’ll have a chance to try to stake his claim alongside Stroud as one of the best young quarterbacks in the game.

Around the NFC

Stafford/Goff redux. Week 1 delivers another rendition of Matt Stafford and Jared Goff facing off against their former teams. Both did excellent work in 2023 leading the L.A. Rams and Detroit, respectively, to the postseason. Both will have Super Bowl aspirations in 2024. Ford Field will be rocking as the Lions start the year in primetime on Sunday Night Football. You can already hear the “Jar-ed Goff” chants. This should be a good one.

Caleb Era. Chicago didn’t bother hiding the fact it was taking Caleb WIlliams No. 1 overall this spring. They named him their starter almost immediately. His status as a captain was a foregone conclusion. Now it’s up to him to stop three decades of revolving quarterback play in the Windy City. He doesn’t have to do it all in Week 1, of course, but opening at home against Tennessee will have optimism among Bears fans at a fever pitch.

First look at Jayden. The Commanders, too, will get the first regular-season look at No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels. The former LSU quarterback and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner debuts on the road against Todd Bowles’ Tampa Bay defense. Daniels has electrifying talent and Washington could surprise this fall if it translates to the field early in the season.

Game of the Week

New York Jets at San Francisco

Aaron Rodgers made it just four snaps into his Jets tenure a year ago before tearing his Achilles tendon. Now he’s back and debuts in 2024 on the road against his childhood home team. The 49ers (-4.5), meanwhile, are Super Bowl or Bust after getting through an arduous offseason that included gritty but ultimately successful long-term extensions for WR Brandon Aiyuk and LT Trent Williams. This is a chance for the Jets to make an early statement, but it’s tough duty against Kyle Shanahan’s team.

49ers 27, Jets 24

Lock of the Week

Arizona at Buffalo

There’s excitement in the desert. The Cards added receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. and edge Darius Robinson in the first round among their eight top-104 draft selections this spring. Year 2 under Jonathan Gannon should be a step forward. But going across the country and taking on an MVP candidate in Week 1? That’s no easy assignment. The Bills (-6.5) had a transitional offseason but as long as they have Josh Allen, they should be in contention.

Bills 31, Cardinals 17

Upset of the Week

Dallas at Cleveland

The Browns (-2.5) put together a terrific 2023 and did so with a revolving door at quarterback. Now they have Deshaun Watson back healthy which is… supposed to be a good thing? Watson has played in just 12 games for Cleveland in more than two years since being traded and signing a massive, fully guaranteed five-year deal. Dallas, meanwhile, had all kinds of contractual drama this summer. But the bottom line is when CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons are on the field, the Cowboys are a talented group. And they’ll want to make a statement after last year’s postseason flameout.

Cowboys 27, Browns 20

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Denver attempted a surprise onside kick to open the 2023 season against Las Vegas and came within about a foot of success, but Tremon Smith touched the ball a shade before it traveled 10 yards.

The surprise onside, of course, is no longer available to NFL teams with the new dynamic kickoff rule in place. Last year’s gambit cost the Broncos valuable field position in a game they ultimately lost by one point.

Some way, somehow, though, Payton’s team has to find a way to start faster Sunday against Seattle and early in the season.

“At the start of camp, I just gave (the team) a five-week report card, and I started with the postseason on down (last year) and where the playoff teams were after five weeks,” Payton said Friday. “… It’s not any one game specifically. … Winning those close games early is important.”

A year ago, 11 of the 14 postseason teams were 3-2 or better after the first five weeks, and the other three were 2-3. That trio included outlier performances across the board. Green Bay saw a midseason transformation from quarterback Jordan Love. Houston saw quarterback C.J. Stroud develop into a star and the Los Angeles Rams had a big crop of rookies and young players swell in performance as the season progressed.

Overall, the playoff group averaged 3.3 wins over its first five games collectively.

Denver, of course, had one of the worst defensive starts in NFL history through the first quarter of the season and started 1-5 before reeling off a turnover-fueled midseason winning streak.

That stretch, though, represented the Broncos playing catch-up with the contending pack rather than separating from it the way they might have had they just got off to a decent start.

“For us and I think for every team in general, you see the teams that start fast make the playoffs and the teams that don’t, don’t,” inside linebacker Alex Singleton told The Denver Post this week. “We had a chance last year. If we’d have got the Raiders game and the Washington game, I think we do make the playoffs and it’s a lot less complicated. Instead, we put ourselves in a bad spot. The teams that make it are all 2-1, 3-1, so if we can go up (to Seattle) and start the season the way we want to, start 1-0, it’s a step in the right direction.”

Easier said than done, of course, considering Denver is a road underdog playing at one of the loudest venues in the NFL and is rolling out a rookie quarterback. A first-round rookie under center hasn’t won a season opener since Sam Darnold in 2018, and since then they are a collective 0-7-1.

“I’ve already been through several atmospheres,” Nix said of opening at Lumen Field on Wednesday after he became the first Broncos rookie named a captain since 1967. “This could be different, but I think having been through that and understanding what a loud environment truly means — I think it’s really important. It’s all about communication. It’s all about being on the same page, keeping it simple and going out there and executing your job.

“When you do that, usually you can take some of the crowd out of it. It’s definitely going to be the whole game. It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be a great atmosphere.”

Another factor for Denver: Three of its first four games are on the road. After Sunday the team returns home to face Pittsburgh in Week 2 and then has back-to-back road games at Tampa Bay and the New York Jets. In an effort to play better on the road particularly when traveling east, the team is expected to stay on the East Coast between those games.

First things first, though: a trip to the Pacific Northwest.

“I’m excited. I’m excited to see how we stack up,” Payton said. “Throughout the preseason, you’ve got different combinations of teams playing players, and there’s a lot going on. I am pleased with the energy and some of the things you guys can see just from the eye.”

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Green Bay edge rusher Lucas Van Ness was right in his face, free off Nix’s left side, and Nix double-clutched before throwing the ball into the turf in front of tight end Adam Trautman at Empower Field on Aug. 18.

Not pretty, but not a calamity.

He shot a glance to the sideline, where quarterbacks coach Davis Webb made a motion with his hand.

This was going to be revisited.

Three days later, after Nix had been named the first Broncos rookie starting quarterback since John Elway, he still had the lone incompletion of his outing against the Packers on his mind.

“I completely botched one play that I needed to fix and we fixed that a lot today — over the last few days,” Nix told reporters then. “We had a whole drill that Davis set up just because of the play that I messed up. But that’s good because that means you won’t mess it up again.

“That’s one where every time it’s called from here on out, I will always think about that one time I messed it up.”

The next snap, Nix threw a third-and-9 strike to Tim Patrick for 14 yards. He finished the drive with a 2-yard scoring pass to Patrick a few plays later.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Webb says Nix overstated how bad the mistake was. But he didn’t overstate the intentionality in addressing it.

“It wasn’t that bad of a miss. We converted the next play to Tim,” Webb told The Denver Post. “It wasn’t too bad, but I definitely knew it was going to come back up later in the year at some point, whether it be that style of play, different formation, whatever.

“But I wanted to hammer it home and also have some fun with it with the vets.”

Here is the Broncos quarterback position, present and future, in a nutshell as they open the 2024 regular season with Nix at the helm.

The 24-year-old has shown aptitude, but there are mistakes, bumps in the road and corrections ahead. So Webb is leveraging everything at his disposal to try to smooth the road as much as possible, from Nix’s appetite for learning to his own experiences as a player to those of fellow Denver quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson.

“He’s going to know this first”

When the Broncos drafted Nix No. 12 overall this spring, Webb caught a ride on the charter jet to Alabama to pick the quarterback and his family up.

After the introductory whirlwind, Nix had a couple of weeks before rookie minicamp.

Webb had an idea. He thought back to competing with Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes for starting jobs in college. To trying to find his way in the NFL. Backing up Eli Manning and Josh Allen. Swimming in all of the stuff that comes with being a quarterback, even a reserve, at the highest level.

Then he started writing.

“I sent him a 15-page outline of what I wish I knew then and what I know now,” Webb said. “And then a few different schedules from Eli or from Josh or from Pat, just kind of like their daily schedules in the offseason and a couple of ideas just to try to help. I mean, I didn’t get that information and there’s a lot of things I wish I got earlier in my career that I didn’t get. I was going to make sure (he) was not going to have to go through some of the things I had to go through or some teammates of mine or even Zach and ‘Stiddy.’

“We all have some story about what we wish. And I was like, ‘Let’s knock that out right now.’ It’s the first thing we’re ever going to give him, so he’s going to know this first.”

It started with quotes and thoughts Webb has collected over the years.

“About just handling the noise, handling the pressure and handling being yourself and not changing over time,” Webb said. “Two of my friends, Josh Allen and Pat Mahomes, have never changed. They could easily, but they’re the same guys. Now, your life is going to update a little bit and who you are as a person needs to update, too, but in a good way. I think we have that with Bo.”

Nix’s teammates seem to agree. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey said Nix has been “authentically himself” since he arrived in Denver. Others speak in similarly glowing terms about Nix’s presence, calm nature and maturity. That doesn’t guarantee wins, but it’s a baseline that’s essentially required for any prospect of sustained success at the position.

“It’s cool to see,” said reserve offensive lineman Alex Forsyth, who was Nix’s teammate at Oregon in 2022. “I really enjoyed being his teammate at Oregon and really enjoy being his teammate now. It’s been good to kind of see your guys that you played with in college grow and take that next step. It’s been fun to watch.”

Learning the pupil

None of that does much good if the player can’t learn the playbook or execute the details.

During the draft process, Webb took it upon himself to not just figure out how well each of the quarterbacks in the 2024 class could learn, but also how they learned.

“During the interviews and privates with Sean, (general manager) George (Paton), (player personnel executive) Cody (Rager) and some of the scouts, you kind of had a feel for what you’re trying to quiz them on and test them on, but I would kind of give four or five different ways of learning just to see which way they picked up on it. Then I’d make a mental note of that.

“‘These are the ones they missed, alright it was this style of learning. These are the ones they hit, it was that style of learning.’ Then just used that to get ready for whoever it was that was going to come here to adjust my meeting style to that.”

Nix, like a lot of quarterbacks, is a visual learner. He likes grinding on the playbook, but seeing is critical. Seeing becomes believing and believing becomes the foundation to build on.

“Bo, ‘Stiddy,’ Zach, if I say a play, they’ll tell you the (video) clip it was for,” Webb said. “If you can tie in visual learning to making it fun, whether that be power points or trivia — big trivia room, we are — and just continue to quiz and walk through and build a routine, consistently, on every play, that’s been very good for him.”

Payton’s told the story several times about how much playbook information Nix retained from one night of studying in March when the Broncos were in Oregon to work him out after his pro day.

“That carries out every day,” Webb says now. “I send him things to work on every day when we leave here and he comes back the next day and he dominates it and owns it. That’s encouraging and that makes you want to coach harder for a player that’s doing the extra work.”

A little help from my friends

The Broncos staged what was billed as a three-man quarterback battle this summer.

Intentionally or not, though, the complexion of the group ended up serving another purpose.

Nix may not have a Hall of Famer or even a long-time starter to learn from like Jordan Love did with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay or Mahomes with Alex Smith in Kansas City.

What he does have is a trio who have combined to experience a lot of NFL ups and downs.

Wilson, the No. 2 overall selection in 2021, knows the white-hot spotlight of being a please-save-the-franchise pick and knows what it’s like to fail in that glare.

Stidham shares an alma mater with Nix, hosted him on a recruiting visit and, of course, learned a thing or two playing behind Tom Brady in New England earlier in his career.

Then there’s Webb himself — “Almost like the wily veteran quarterback that’s in the room,” as Payton described him this summer — who’s spent his entire playing career around high-caliber quarterbacks and who developed a reputation as a terrific teacher even while he was still playing.

In Webb’s ideal world, they provide something like armor for Nix. As a collective, he says, they can help steel the rookie for what’s coming beginning Sunday at Seattle even if they can’t walk the path for him.

“Everyone has a first game,” Webb said. “One of the first things we talked about when he came here was, who has the most interceptions in their rookie year?”

Peyton Manning with 28, of course.

“Alright, well he’s one of the best ever,” the 29-year-old assistant continued. “Like, it’s going to be OK. In today’s world, it’s a little bit different. Zach can attest to it, especially with the New York media it can be a little bit tougher. But it’s great to have a room full of guys that all have different experiences because we’re all force-feeding Bo our experiences so hopefully that way he doesn’t have to go through some of the crap that we went through.”

That was the real point of the drill Webb made up in the middle of training camp. There’s the actual technique fix and there’s also the broader philosophy. You made a mistake. Who cares? We’ll fix it. There’s more coming, so keep bouncing back and then keep expecting to be held accountable — and probably laughed at a little bit — back in the comfort of the quarterback room.

This is Webb’s rookie curriculum for Nix. It’s not scattershot. It’s been plotted and refined since before the draft and put into place over the past four-plus months. Now the first test for Nix is here.

Webb sees it more as a test for the whole group.

“Me, ‘Stiddy’ and Zach have been trying to find as many different ways as we can to double down on things that we wish we had growing up through being a rookie or a second-year guy,” he said. “It’s easy looking back now kind of like, ‘Oh man, I wish I knew back then.’

“So we’re trying to expedite a lot of that process for Bo right now.”

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NFL First-round rookie QBs (since 2018)

Instant success is uncommon among rookie quarterbacks in the NFL. The last time a first-round rookie won a season opener was back in 2018, when Sam Darnold led the New York Jets to a 48-17 win in Detroit. Here’s a look at each first-round QB since then:

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