Broncos' Payton backs Bo Nix amid struggles: 'Just keep firing'
Posted September 26, 2025
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton defended quarterback Bo Nix's mechanics Thursday with the promise that big plays will come. But Payton said the offense's biggest problem is that it hasn't found its identity, and that has been affecting Nix, as well.
The Broncos have lost back-to-back games on the last play -- to the Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Chargers -- and Nix's play has been scrutinized because of the offense's struggles. He is 25th in the league in QBR (41.8), and, according to NextGen, his tight-window completion percentage is 16th (37.5%), tied with recently benched Giants quarterback Russell Wilson.
Nix narrowly missed multiple potential big plays in the loss to the Chargers on Sunday, all on overthrows, including one to a wide-open Courtland Sutton in the fourth quarter that would have likely sealed a win. The Broncos also had seven possessions in which they totaled 9 or fewer yards and four possessions in which they had 1 yard or fewer.
Asked Thursday about Nix's mechanics through three games, Payton encouraged him to "just keep firing."
"He's going to hit plenty of those. ... [And] there's times I'm sure when we sit and watch the tape [there are things to repair]," Payton said. "But one of the things that's a gift are his off-schedule throws, but you just want to be careful of how much you tell him. When you settle into certain plays, there's a rhythm to the mechanics. ... But overall, I think [the ball] is coming out well.''
Payton said the Broncos' real struggle is more of a big-picture situation. The team is 27th in third-down conversions and average yards to go on third down, and 19th in big plays (runs of 10 or more yards and passes of 20 or more yards) and passing yards per game. The Broncos are also one of the most penalized offenses in the league with 14.
Though they are eighth in the league in rushing yards per game (129.0), they are 20th in attempts. Payton said it's all part of an offensive rhythm and "identity'' the team hasn't found. He said it's on the coaches to help the team establish one.
The Broncos face the Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) on Monday night in Empower Field at Mile High.
"Ultimately, you want to go out there and hit every single one of them," Nix said of the missed big plays. "I've yet to actually play a game where I've hit all of them. But I'm working on that, and I feel confident that one day I can go out there and do it. And that may be crazy on my part, but I truly believe it."
Cowboys Sign Ex-Packers Cornerback Corey Ballentine Ahead of Critical Sunday Night Clash
ahead of their Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 4.
According to the NFL’s official transaction wire, the Cowboys signed former Packers veteran cornerback Corey Ballentine on Thursday to their 16-man practice squad.
Ballentine made seven starts and appeared in 37 games for the Packers over the past three seasons, logging 581 defensive snaps and 415 special-teams snaps in that span. While he initially signed with the
Indianapolis Colts in free agency earlier this year, he returned to the Packers for several weeks in training camp as they battled injuries.
Ballentine did not, however, make the Packers’ initial 53-man roster cut.
Whether the Cowboys will extract any useful information from Ballentine about the Packers’ defensive schemes or tendencies remains unclear, but he could at least help them on special teams — if they are willing to elevate him to the game-day roster.
The Packers (2-1) will kick off against the Cowboys (1-2) at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Kenny Clark Has Insider Knowledge About Packers
The Cowboys might not learn much from Ballentine about the Packers, but they do have someone else on their roster who spent considerable time in Green Bay:
Clark, a 2016 first-round pick, spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Packers and was in line to do so again in 2025 until early September, when the team traded him and two first-round draft picks to the Cowboys for All-Pro pass rusher
Naturally, Clark has some insider information on how the Packers operate defensively. He also knows the tendencies of several of their offensive linemen, which he has said he is more than happy to share with his new Cowboys coaches — even though he feels it will be more valuable in his one-on-one matchups with his former teammates.
“Yeah, there’s a lot you can take out of that,” Clark said this week about using his history with the Packers to his advantage in Week 4’s matchup. “I know them in and out. They know me. I’ve been going against those guys for a long time, know how they like to block and all that kind of stuff. As far as scheme and that kind of stuff, that’s a little tougher. As far as just me versus the guy, knowing how they’re going to block me, knowing the sets. They know what I’m gonna do, I know what they’re gonna do.”
Could Corey Ballentine Return to Packers in 2025?
Ballentine is now with the Cowboys until they either decide to cut him loose or another team comes along and signs him from Dallas’ practice squad to their 53-man roster.
With somewhat shaky cornerback depth, though, it is not out of the question to think that the Packers might consider re-signing him at some point in the 2025 season.
Ballentine played extensive defensive snaps (488) for the Packers in 2023 when they had a particularly rough run-in with cornerback injuries, but he was also regularly used as a special teams asset over his three seasons. That dual-purpose ability could tempt the Packers to bring him back, especially if they continue to struggle in the third phase.
Then again, the Packers already gave Ballentine a chance to win a roster spot in camp and ultimately decided to leave him off their initial 53-man roster. The depth situation in their cornerback room has also only improved since then, slimming his return odds.
