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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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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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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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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Denver played inspiring defense in the first half, recording an interception and two safeties, only to see that effort come crashing down on the Seahawks’ first drive of the third quarter.

In six plays, Seattle ripped off 66 yards, culminating with running back Kenneth Walker cutting right, shedding tackles from inside linebacker Alex Singleton and cornerback Riley Moss and leaping into the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown.

The Broncos vowed to improve their run defense this offseason after being among the worst in the league last season. But once again, Denver’s inability to stop the run was its downfall in a 26-20 loss at Lumen Field, with 90 of the Seahawks’ 202 total yards in the second half coming on the ground.

“We can’t give up (rushing yards) as much as we did,” said outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper, who finished with two sacks. “That has to be a big emphasis for us next week.”

The defense came out on fire to start the game.

On Seattle’s first play of the quarter, Cooper got home to sack veteran quarterback Geno Smith for a 7-yard loss. On the following play, defensive tackle D.J. Jones created pressure on Smith, forcing him to throw an interception to Singleton.

In the second quarter when Denver’s offense struggled to put points on the board, the defense delivered two safeties. It marked the third time in NFL history a team recorded multiple safeties in a season-opening game. The first came on a holding penalty in the end zone and the second saw Cooper and defensive end Zach Allen tackle running back Zach Charbonnet behind the goal line on first-and-10.

The Denver defense also found a way to contain Walker. With eight minutes left in the second quarter, outside linebacker Baron Browning wrapped around Walker before doing a backflip as he brought him to the ground for a 4-yard loss. Walker went into halftime with 17 of Seattle’s 56 rushing yards.

“I loved how we came out,” Broncos safety P.J. Locke said. “Our purpose was to stop the run game and the defensive line was attacking.”

The second half, however, was a different story. The Seahawks scored on three straight drives, as Seattle picked up its tempo.

Denver’s struggles against Seattle’s ground game opened the door for Smith to make plays with his arm. After a 12-yard run from Walker, Smith completed three straight passes, including two to wide receiver Tyler Lockett that set up a 30-yard touchdown reception from Charbonnet at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Seahawks outscored Denver 17-7 in the second half while Walker finished with 20 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown before exiting the game in the fourth quarter due to abdominal pain.

“They found something to dictate the packages we were in,” Locke said. “I’m not using that as an excuse, but we are gonna go back to the drawing board to figure out what exactly did they find.”

Allen insisted the sky was not falling after the game. Despite the Broncos’ defense faltering down the stretch, their performance in the first half provided optimism that they can be a better unit than last season.

“We just got to be better about making those adjustments, and learn how to play a full four-quarter game,” Allen said. “We definitely don’t want a start like last year. I’m sure we will be able to turn it around.”

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None of this was particularly surprising given the time and place. Rookie quarterbacks are now 4-15 at Lumen Field. And in his debut, Nix looked spooked and was too often off target before providing hope with a nervy fourth-quarter drive that made the final score more palatable.

It was unsettling but predictable and understandable.

What was not was Sean Payton’s performance. As long as Payton works in Denver, he will be shadow-boxing his championship past. It will be used to judge him.

And Sunday Payton wasn’t good enough, making too many head-scratching decisions than acceptable for someone with his pedigree.

His resume hints of an offensive genius, and the Broncos delivered seven three-and-out drives. They were 5 for 18 on third down. They scored nine points on three red zone trips.

Sunday represented Payton’s 276th game as a head coach. It was the first for Seattle’s Mike Macdonald.

So why were the Seahawks more efficient, more opportunistic and more disciplined? Why were they able to make halftime adjustments, something Payton explained as overrated last season? How did Seattle offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb figure out between bites of fruit and sips of Gatorade to feed the ball to running back Kenneth Walker III?

This is the clarity the Broncos require from Payton. He needed to win the chessboard. He has to be held to a higher standard. On a team speckled with young players and one superstar (cornerback Pat Surtain II), the boss is the most accomplished and highest-paid employee. He cannot have a bad day.

There were plenty of fingerprints on this loss, but Payton deserves the most blame.

“I have to be better,” Payton admitted.

Why?

“Any time you have a plan like that and you don’t execute, you don’t run the ball as well, then you’ve got to look at why,” said Payton, whose record fell to 28-12 against rookie head coaches. “That’s why.”

The game gave off CU-Nebraska vibes with the offensive imbalance. With the Buffs it is expected because there is no evidence that coach Deion Sanders values winning over his son’s statistics.

Payton boasts 169 NFL victories and a Super Bowl ring. He knows better. Nix dropped back 44 times, threw 42 times and was sacked twice. The Broncos ran 25 times for 99 yards. That, though, is deceiving. Nix scrambled five times for 35 yards. So everyone else produced 60 yards on 24 carries.

That is 2.5 yards per carry for those who hate math. It eloquently explains why Nix averaged 3.29 yards per passing attempt. And he got hot late to get there. Deep into the second half, he threatened to break Ben Roethlisberger’s record of 2.68.

When the entire game plan requires protecting Nix, putting him in position to succeed, the Broncos not only could not run but abandoned it. Broncos players not named Nix ran the ball seven times in the second half. Seven!

We are not in the meetings or film sessions. But in the NFL, report cards are based on Sunday’s public exam, and this one is an F.

“There’s always that balance. But it’s hard to keep doing it. We are going to look at the tape, and us, as coaches, have to evaluate the run plan and why it wasn’t effective,” Payton said. “It’s going to be hard to play quarterback period if that’s all we can do running the ball.”

Payton struck the right tone about Nix. He defended him, which was appropriate but mildly surprising given his performance. He fell on his sword, but not before swinging it a few times at the offensive line and skill players.

“Bo gave us a chance. Our protection was average at best. … Our rushing yards were not nearly good enough,” Payton said. “At one point in the game, I went to the bench and talked to the receivers and said, ‘Let’s go. Let’s help this guy.’”

Nix is the future. He needs props, not drops. The problem with this strategy is one I broached in the spring: Who are the playmakers? Courtland Sutton caught four passes on 12 targets. Nix finished 2 of 12 on passes over 10 yards with two interceptions. Payton must fight the gravitational pull to throw the ball when receivers don’t get consistent separation, as was the case Sunday.

Payton has never relied on a rookie quarterback, beyond starting Ian Book once because of COVID in 2021.

As much as we talk about Nix’s development, Payton has to evolve with him. He has to design a better ground attack. Heck, maybe put Nix under center more, giving the running back more options than the half field created by shotgun handoffs. As center Luke Wattenberg said, “We definitely have to be better on first and second down. We have to run the ball, for sure. That’s gotta be our identity.”

Perhaps the Broncos just aren’t good enough. That’s not yet clear. But one thing is certain: Payton can’t call 44 passes and expect to receive anything but a failing grade.

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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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Highlight: There were few pretty moments. But in the closing seconds of the second quarter, Nix completed a 25-yard pass near the sideline to wide receiver Josh Reynolds. In what was Nix’s best throw of the afternoon, helping set up a 45-yard field goal by kicker Wil Lutz. Nix showcased his legs in the fourth quarter when he scrambled to the right, pump-faked and spun into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown with 2:09 left in regulation.

Lowlight: The Broncos faced a third-and-9 early in the second quarter when Nix tried to force the ball to wide receiver Courtland Sutton in the end zone and was picked off by Seattle safety Julian Love. It was a poor decision to throw the ball, as Sutton had two defenders around him. Nix almost had his second interception when he threw into the chest of Tyrel Dodson but the Seahawks linebacker failed to secure the pick.

Analysis: Nix looked spooked. Even head coach Sean Payton’s conservative play calling wasn’t enough to settle him down. His mechanics were off. He was late on multiple throws. And he had nervous feet. In the second quarter, Nix looked desperate to make a play and ended up putting the ball in harm’s way. He had the interception and then attempted a throw to Sutton in double coverage, forcing the Broncos to settle for a field goal. There were also times when Nix struggled to decide whether to throw or keep the ball and run. And short passes to Jaleel McLaughlin did not produce much yardage. The Broncos spent the offseason praising Nix’s college experience and maturity. On Sunday, he looked like a deer in the highlights.

Unsung Hero

RB Kenneth Walker: Walker was hard to slow down on Sunday. The Seahawks starting running back rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries while averaging 5.2 yards per attempt. He created momentum for the Seahawks in the third quarter, running 23 yards down the sideline before leaping across the goal line for a score. Walker exited the game in the fourth quarter due to abdominal pain.

Goat of the game

Vance Joseph: Denver’s defensive coordinator had his unit humming in the first half before they fell apart down the stretch. The Broncos held Seattle to 56 rushing yards while recording an interception and two safeties in the first two quarters. However, the run defense faltered to start the second half and allowed 90 rushing yards and 202 total yards in the final two quarters.

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