The one he’s walked by a million times now. The one that won’t stop staring back with emptiness. The one that mocks him, silently, reminding him what should’ve been. And wasn’t.

“I’ve only won one trophy here, so that definitely (hacks) me off,” Blackburn, the CSU Rams’ senior safety, told me earlier this year. “And it’s something that we all are aware of and definitely working to make sure that doesn’t happen in my last season. We’re all aware of our rivalry games and we’ve got two at home … so yeah, those are definitely huge games for us that we need to win.”

Once the bruises and pride start talking, they never stop. Rocky Mountain Showdown Week opens up all kinds of old wounds. Shedeur Sanders turning into Tom Brady. The Rams letting one slip away late, a recurring theme for 2023 that nobody wanted.

“Henry wants to see us win. He wants to see us do the things we need to do to win,” added third-year CSU coach Jay Norvell, who’s seeking his first rivalry win on Saturday night when the two 1-1 rivals lock horns at Canvas Stadium for the first time.

“And I think that’s probably been the biggest difference in our leaders is that they’ve been super-focused on making everybody else accountable … going to class, making sure you’re on time for workouts, finishing workouts, all the things that we ask our kids to do in our program. Our leaders have been super detailed in making them accountable. And so I just think Henry’s been dialed in with that.

“He’s one of those guys that just loves to play, whether it’s practice or a game. And he reminds me a lot of myself, to be honest, when I was in college.”

Despite some dings this past spring, Blackburn’s playing faster than ever. Counters in the chess game on the field come quicker. So does the first step.

The Boulder native says he power-cleaned 300 pounds earlier this year. He maxed out at 275-ish in spring 2023. The 225-pound bench press reps, another NFL combine test, went up to 17 this past spring after hovering in the 12 range the year before.

“Just everything, my whole game and every facet, (is) improved physically,” Blackburn said. “And then obviously, the mental side has been something I’ve been really working to improve as well.”

•••

This week’s special. Just not in the ways you’d think. Blackburn’s turned enough pages from last year’s Rocky Mountain Showdown to make George R.R. Martin blush.

“I mean, he’s a good dude and I wish him the best in his career,” Blackburn said of Hunter, the Buffs two-way star who left last September’s Showdown at Folsom Field after taking a blow from the CSU safety near the home sideline. “I don’t have any (ill will). We’re good.

“And obviously, we’re going to have to play again, strap it up again, and that’ll be a fun game. But yeah, I’ve got good feelings toward him and everything and wish him the best in his career.”

Beyond that, Blackburn declined to dive into specifics.

Everyone wants to move on. The social media benefits of the Coach Prime Effect have been a tide that lifts all boats for CU athletics. But when the narrative gets ugly, that wave can turn into a tsunami. Lines get crossed. Five individuals were reportedly charged last year with making threats against Blackburn and his family.

“Yeah, it was kind of frustrating because, being on the (CU) side, they didn’t really have to do that,” CU defensive back Isaiah Hardge told me. “But at the end of the day … it’s football, anything can happen.”

What got lost in the hit that rocked Folsom Field was the good souls in both the Buffs and Rams locker rooms that worked behind the scenes to mend fences.

Hardge was one of them. The Florida native’s older brother, Ron Hardge III, played for the Rams last year. Last September, the younger Hardge was playing NBA 2K with Hunter when Ron called him up and said he was sitting next to Blackburn.

“I was talking on the mic with (Hunter) and that’s when I had my brother, who was next to Henry,” Isaiah Hardge recalled. “We were just kind of talking, and he heard him, so I was kind of the middle man.”

Ron rang up Isaiah and he merged the call with Hunter.

“So I had called Henry and then put him on the phone with (Travis) on a merge,” Isaiah said. “And that’s when they were talking … that’s when we kind of set it up with the bowling thing. That’s how it all happened.”

You know the rest. Blackburn and Hunter agreed to bowl in Westminster for charity. Both players wound up contributing $1,000 each to the cause of Blackburn’s choice: Fort Collins-based Realities For Children. The nonprofit, whose motto is, “because no child should be forgotten,” works to improve the lives of children who have been abused, neglected, or are at risk.

Former CSU and Broncos star Shaq Barrett and his wife, Jordana, have backed the organization in the past, and it’s got some cool things afoot. RFC is constructing a Healing Sanctuary Campus on a 4-acre lot adjacent to the organization’s headquarters.

“I met Henry when I went up to Fort Collins with my brother,” Hardge said. “I keep in contact with him. He’s good. Yeah, he’s a good guy, he’s a cool guy. I mean, it just blew up.

“Everybody was saying that was a foul hit. But at the end of the day, they came and squashed the beef. I mean, (there) was no beef. It was good sportsmanship, everybody getting along. And then just coming together and just solving the problem.”

•••

Hundreds of problems, actually. Thanks in part to Hunter and Blackburn, RFC recently filled and distributed 1,005 backpacks full of supplies this summer for local schoolchildren.

Last year, RFC provided emergency funding services for 5,116 children and distributed items to more than 15,000 children and their families while providing youth activities and facilities space for nearly 6,500 kids and guardians.

No child should be forgotten.

No good deed, either.

“I wish I could play for CSU forever,” Blackburn continued. “But I’m lucky to get a fifth year, honestly. I’m really happy that I was able to get five years here. It’s flown by.

“But it’s a blessing. I’ve loved every moment of it. And so it’s good that I’ll be able to kind of leave a legacy and pass on the torch to some of the younger guys when I leave.”

If he could pass them a trophy, all the sweeter. The best legacies are encased for eternity, the best last words engraved.

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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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Keeler: Broncos, easily. I mean, yeah, the Buffs are as one-dimensional as a Pauly Shore flick, but we’re too far down the stream to change horses now. The worst-kept secret in BoCo is that Shedeur Sanders — not Pat Shurmur, not Sean Lewis — makes the big calls on offense. The takeaway from Nebraska postgame? There’s no one No. 2 trusts more with the ball in his hands than himself. While that might work for CU in the D-optional, pass-happy Big 12, Bo Nix is in a different league. Literally. Bo needs more help, man. A lot of help. From everywhere. Now.

Renck: For me the answer is simple: the Broncos. Why? They are built to run. They guaranteed $126 million in contracts to right tackle Mike McGlinchey, left guard Ben Powers and right guard Quinn Meinerz to win at the line of scrimmage, to create, as center Luke Wattenberg called it, “a physical identity.” Yet Nix threw the ball 44 times in the opener. Worse, he was the Broncos’ most dynamic runner. Javonte Williams averaged 3.2 yards per carry over the final 10 games last season and posted 2.9 yards a pop vs. Seattle. He was more explosive in training camp. But is he better? Is he a starter? The eye test — even in a blink — says Audric Estime could be the team’s most dynamic back. Coach Sean Payton reiterated Monday he “didn’t do a good enough job” but explained the run issues involve scheme, better technique by linemen and improved vision from running backs.

Keeler: The downside of “going young”? Cutting sure things. Cutting veteran sure things, especially. Samaje Perine has lost a step, but at least those steps are usually chugging forward. Think Young Bo could’ve used the sure-handed Tim Patrick to keep the chains moving? It’s Sean’s show. Sean’s locker room. But Sean’s offenses in recent years have looked a heck of a lot better when they’re using the run to set up the pass, and not vice versa. Stat to note: Since 2020, Sean Payton teams are 18-5, and 4-2 with the Broncos, when picking up 120 rush yards or more, and 11-16 when it’s 119 or fewer. If Estime turns this engine over and holds the fort as a pass protector, that might be your guy.

Renck: CU is abysmal on the ground, with its running backs collecting 75 yards on 25 carries through two games. Stop the madness with Charlie Offerdahl. He can pick up a blitz. OK. Cool. Make him the backup and expand his role on special teams. Dallan Hayden needs more reps. Feed him and see if it puts the offensive line in rhythm. The Broncos’ situation is more alarming because they want to run. The Buffs do not. They say they do. But they don’t. And until they value balance over Sanders’ passing stats, nothing will change.

Keeler: I’ve been stomping for Hayden for two weeks now, to no avail. Meanwhile, Dylan Edwards is averaging 9.5 yards per touch at K-State, where he’s already scored three times in two games for the Fighting EMAWs. The Buffs sure would love that kind of explosion out of the backfield right about now. And young Bo could use it even more.

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On Monday, CU and the Big 12 announced at the Buffaloes’ game against Baylor on Sept. 21 at Folsom Field has been slated for a 6 p.m. MT kickoff. The game will be broadcast nationally on Fox.

The matchup against Baylor is homecoming, and it’s also CU’s first Big 12 contest since leaving the conference after the 2010 season. The Buffs spent 13 seasons in the Pac-12 before returning to the Big 12 this year.

Sanders surgery

CU safety Shilo Sanders underwent surgery on Monday morning for an injury sustained in Saturday’s 28-10 loss at Nebraska.

It’s unclear the nature of the injury or how long Sanders would be sidelined, but head coach Deion Sanders said after the game “I know he did something to his forearm that that put him out for the rest of the game.”

Shilo was injured on CU’s sixth defensive play of the game. During the second half, he had his right arm in a sling.

On social media Coach Prime posted photos of Shilo at the hospital on Monday and wrote, “He will be back and ready.”

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If you’re on mobile, tap here to see the rankings.

Class 5A

Class 4A

Class 3A

Note: All stats taken from Maxpreps.com.

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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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DENVER (AP) — Colorado safety Shilo Sanders had surgery after sustaining an arm injury in the team’s loss to Nebraska, his father and coach, Deion Sanders, said Monday in a social media post.

Deion Sanders posted pictures of his son, including one with Shilo Sanders in a wheelchair and another with his arm in a cast as he recovered in a hospital bed. Deion Sanders wrote: “God is Good! Can’t wait to see u back ready to go. Love ya son!”

There’s no timetable for a return. The school doesn’t typically announce injuries.

Deion Sanders said in his NBC halftime interview Saturday he thought his son broke his forearm. He had no update, though, after the game.

Shilo Sanders appeared to hurt his arm in the first quarter Saturday while making a tackle on Nebraska running back Dante Dowdell in a 28-10 loss to the Cornhuskers. Sanders went to the locker room and didn’t return to play.

The loss of Shilo Sanders would be a big blow for a defense that’s trying to get in sync under new defensive coordinator Robert Livingston. Sanders has 11 tackles this season. Sophomore Savion Riley is listed as his backup on the depth chart.

Last season, Sanders was an all-Pac-12 honorable mention selection after finishing with 69 tackles and an interception. He started his career at South Carolina before joining his father at Jackson State and following him to Boulder.

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was banged up in the Nebraska game, too, after being sacked five times. Behind a shaky offensive front, he threw for 244 yards and one touchdown. He also had a costly first-quarter interception that Nebraska returned for a score.

“There’s nothing that recovery and everything can’t fix,” the quarterback said of his health after the game. “We’re going to get back to the drawing board.”

Colorado beat FCS North Dakota State 31-26 in the season opener. The Buffaloes play at Colorado State on Saturday night.

___

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“Tory is sore, but I think he’s going to be available to play,” the third-year Rams coach said of Horton, who left last weekend’s win over Northern Colorado with what Norvell described during his weekly news conference as a groin strain.

“So we’ll see how he progresses over the week.”

The senior wideout returned a punt for 78 yards in the first quarter against the Bears but left the game in the third quarter and didn’t return.

“Tory, he’s worked really, really hard to build his body up. He was shot out of a cannon on that punt return. … Hopefully he’s able to play.”

The 6-foot-3 California native caught three balls for 65 yards against UNC before exiting the contest.

Horton caught 16 passes for 133 yards against the Buffs last year at Folsom Field in a 43-35 loss in double overtime. Last season, he led CSU in catches (96) and receiving yards (1,136).

CSU hosts CU at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday in a game televised nationally by CBS. It’s the first Rocky Mountain Showdown in Fort Collins since 1996 and the first ever at Canvas Stadium, which opened in 2017.

The Rams have split their first two games of the season, losing big at Texas (52-0) in Week 1 before returning to Fort Collins and beating Northern Colorado, 38-17, last Saturday night on Ag Day.

Norvell walked away from the latter displeased with what he considered an uneven performance against the Bears.

“We are a work in progress as a football team,” Norvell said after the game Saturday. “I was pretty irritated for most of this game because I just want our guys to play up to their potential. We do it at times. We scratch the surface at times, but I was not happy for most of this game. But I’m very proud of some of the efforts we had.”

Corey Masisak contributed to this report.

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Dozens of young athletes from Ski & Snowboard Club Vail honored her Saturday evening at Vail’s Ford Amphitheater, swarming the stage and carrying balloons — 82 of them white for her World Cup victories, eight red for her world championships medals, three gold for her Olympic medals. Vonn moved from the modest slalom hills of Minnesota to Vail when she was a girl, getting the big-mountain experience she needed to become America’s greatest female downhiller.

“I moved to Vail when I was 12 years old, along with my four siblings, and we enrolled at Ski Club Vail,” Vonn said. “It was honestly the best decision my family could have made. My journey of becoming a downhiller began (there). Without the help of Ski Club Vail, and all of those runs down Gold Peak, I don’t know if I would have won those World Cup races.”

After Vonn became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, taking home a bronze medal in super-G as well, Vail renamed its International run Lindsey’s. International was the venue for women’s World Cup races in Vail before it built new downhill race courses at Beaver Creek.

“Renaming International to Lindsey’s was honestly one of the most meaningful things that’s happened to me,” Vonn said. “I hope to ski down it with my kids someday.”

When Vonn retired in 2019, her 82 World Cup wins were the most by a woman and only four behind Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86. Mikaela Shiffrin, who grew up in Vail with Vonn as a role model, broke Stenmark’s record in 2023 and now stands at 97. Vonn saluted Shiffrin in her induction speech.

“Mikaela has won an insane number of World Cups, and she’s far from being done,” Vonn said. “It gives me great pride to know the next generation is reaching even higher than I was able to. I know she will inspire someone else, just like me. Congratulations to Mikaela on everything that you’ve done and will do in the future.”

Among the many locals she thanked was Dr. Tom Hackett, a prominent Vail orthopedic surgeon who helped her come back from numerous injuries.

“Even though I have my mother’s positivity, it hasn’t been all sunshine and roses,” Vonn said. “I’m grateful for everything that’s happened to me, all of the highs and all of the lows. (The lows) all taught me something very special — grit.”

Others inducted included John “Johno” McBride, a former U.S. men’s downhill coach from Aspen who was instrumental in the careers of Bode Miller and Daron Rahlves; Bjorn Erik Borgen, who helped Vail land world alpine championships in 1989, 1999 and 2015; Sigurd Rockne, a native of Norway who was a founder of the Breckenridge ski area; Ross Anderson, a Native American who grew up in Durango to become a speed skiing racer.

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Stock Up

OLB Jonathon Cooper: The fourth-year pro wasted little time in his quest to register 10 sacks or more this season. On the first play of the game, he got to Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith for a 7-yard loss. In the second quarter, Seattle was at its 10-yard line when Cooper got home and took down Smith for the second time in the first half. Cooper finished with six tackles (two for loss) and four quarterback hits — a promising start for a veteran looking to prove a point.

CB Pat Surtain II: On Sunday, Surtain showed why he is one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the league. He shadowed DK Metcalf on 24 of his 25 routes, according to Next Gen Stats. Surtain was the nearest defender on Metcalf’s four targets, allowing three receptions for 29 yards with an average target separation of 1.1 yards.

DE Zach Allen: Allen had a solid game. He generated pressure on Smith in the first quarter, forcing him to throw an incompletion on third down. In the second quarter, he and Cooper tackled Seattle running back Zach Charbonnet behind the goal line for a safety. The Broncos beefed up their defensive line this offseason in an effort to address a glaring weakness, but Allen remains one of the more important pieces up front.

Safety JL Skinner: Denver’s second-year safety made his presence felt on special teams. He delivered a forceful tackle on wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. on the opening kickoff. In the second quarter, Skinner recovered a fumble at Seattle’s 9-yard line after cornerback Dee Williams muffed a punt return. Later in the quarter, Skinner and cornerback Tremon Smith helped down a punt at the 1-yard line, setting up Denver’s second safety of the first half.

Stock Down

QB Bo Nix: There’s no reason to jump ship on Nix after one game. All rookies have growing pains. Still, his performance diminished his stock, which he built up after a strong training camp and preseason. Nix had two interceptions but could’ve easily had four or five. His mechanics were off, and he constantly threw the ball behind receivers. Sure, protection was average, and Denver’s receivers struggled to create separation. But that’s not an excuse for some of the plays Nix made. Sunday was a big learning experience for him.

RB Javonte Williams: Payton quickly expressed his displeasure about Denver’s run game. The Broncos running backs had 20 carries for 64 yards. Williams highlighted the group’s struggles, gaining just 23 yards on eight carries. During Denver’s first possession, Williams appeared to have a clear path to the end zone but got tripped up on a 9-yard gain. On the following play, Williams slipped for a 1-yard loss. He averaged 2.9 yards per carry and failed to move the needle in Week 1.

CB Riley Moss: Moss had a team-high 12 tackles, so he was far from terrible. But he wasn’t great, either. When it mattered most, Smith wasn’t afraid to attack the second-year cornerback. During Seattle’s third scoring drive of the second half, Smith completed 16- and 11-yard pass attempts to receiver Tyler Lockett with Moss in coverage, setting up a 30-yard touchdown pass to Charbonnet. With 1:54 left, Smith threw the ball over Moss’ outstretched arm before Lockett secured the game-sealing 9-yard catch.

Sean Payton: Denver’s coach was right when he said postgame that he could’ve been better. Even with a new quarterback, the Broncos dealt with the same issues that plagued them in 2023. In Nix’s debut, Payton took a conservative approach in his play-calling, with most of the rookie’s pass attempts behind the line of scrimmage. The problem with that game plan is the Broncos lack dynamic playmakers capable of generating yards after the catch. Since Payton has been in Denver, he has attempted to turn the Broncos into the New Orleans Saints of the AFC West. But Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston are not walking through the door. If he wants to find success in Denver, he may have to change his approach.

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