Courtland Sutton Challenges Broncos to Take Weight Off Bo Nix's Shoulders
The Denver Broncos emerged victorious over the Tennessee Titans, notching Sean Payton his first Week-1 win as the team's head coach. However, after making the playoffs last year, the Broncos are being judged on more than just the standings; style points have come into play.
The truth? The Broncos turned the ball over four times, not counting their 0-for-2 effort on fourth-down attempts, both of which resulted in a turnover on downs. Payton's squad was the only team to lose the turnover battle in Week 1 and still win the game.
"Last week teams were 8-1 when they won the turnover battle, and the one was us," Payton said on Wednesday. "You can’t live that way."
Bo Nix's performance is a big reason for the style-point critiques emerging from all corners of the NFL. The second-year quarterback didn't play well, though he had his moments, passing for just 176 yards and a touchdown on 40 (!) attempts, with two interceptions and a lost fumble.
Broncos' wide receiver Courtland Sutton had a decent day at the office, though, catching six of nine targets for 61 yards and a touchdown. Sutton's stat line would have been much higher, though, if Nix doesn't make some terrible throws his direction.
Nix missed Sutton on a botched fourth-down moonball late in the fourth quarter when he was literally wide open. Sutton is getting two touchdowns and eclipsing 100 yards on the day if Nix sees him. The ball instead went Marvin Mims Jr.'s direction.
Nix's lackluster first game of the 2025 season may have certain anxious segments of Broncos Country shaken, but not Sutton. Nix is a perfectionist, so when he turns in a sloppy game, Sutton helps the young quarterback guard against holding onto things too long.
"I love being able to look at [Nix] and say, ‘Hey, we got you.’ Things could be going great and we could be winning 50-0 and I’m like, ‘Hey, we got you,'" Sutton said on Wednesday. "He is a competitor. He challenges himself to be perfect. I tell you guys all the time, that is something you love to see from your quarterback. Someone who wants to be the best version of themselves because that is who they are. That is their character and competitive edge."
A Team Sport
Football is the ultimate team sport, and although Nix threw some passes and made some reads that he surely wanted back, the execution around him wasn't always ideal either. The Broncos' offensive line struggled to protect Nix against Tennessee's ferocious defensive front, while several receivers dropped passes.
Anxious fans and some sections of the local and national press may have their doubts about Nix now, but not Sutton. It's about the collective coming together and winning the day.
"It’s like a subtle, ‘Hey, we got you. It’s going to take all of us.’ Then we keep it moving," Sutton continued. "I think he understands, and he knows that, but it’s not just him. It’s all of us. We all need to be reminded now and again that the weight of the world is not on your shoulders; it is on all of us. We as a team go out there and perform to achieve a victory.”
Sutton's Keys to Victory
The Broncos did just that, defeating the Titans 20-12. Next up, the Broncos travel to take on the Indianapolis Colts, an opponent they defeated late last season. However, the Colts aren't led by Anthony Richardson this time; it's a possibly resurgent Daniel Jones.
The Broncos' offense has to find a way to get back on the horse, pardon the pun. Jones and company will find the Broncos' defense to be a much tougher row to hoe than the Miami Dolphins, but Nix, Sutton, and the offense have to do their part and score 24-plus points, at best, and not turn the ball over three times, at worst.
Sutton laid out his keys to the Broncos winning at Lucas Oil Stadium for the first time since 2017.
“The biggest thing is... not putting our defense in the situation that we put them in with putting the ball over. I think if we are able to control the line of scrimmage, control the time of possession, and take care of the opportunities of when we get into the red zone [with] scoring touchdowns and not just field goals," Sutton said. "That will help us as a collective be able to have a chance to come out with a victory."
Broncos head coach Sean Payton did not enter this season expecting to rely solely on his elite defense to win ball games. That mindset hasn't changed. After all, Nix passed for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns as a rookie, giving Payton a very reliable foundation to build upon in Year 2.
But the Colts get paid, too, and they'll be hungry for revenge after the Broncos helped end their playoff hopes last season. Armed with a new defensive coordinator in Lou Anarumo, the Colts are hoping for a different result this time around after the Broncos came alive in the second half of last year's action.
"[The Colts] have some good pieces over there. They played us hard last year, and they got a new [defensive] coordinator, but they have some similar pieces," Sutton said. "[They have] some new faces, but similar pieces. It’s going to be on us to have a great week of preparation, so we are prepared to go in there and play fast and continue this fast start.”
Drew Brees gives his take on Bo Nix's fit in Sean Payton's offense
The Denver Broncos are in a really good position, at least according to future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees.
According to Brees, head coach Sean Payton's system is still fundamentally the same as when he played with Payton from 2006-21. "The system is fun to watch," said Brees in an interview with Kevin Clark and ESPN's
After talking about Payton's offensive system, Brees turned to the Broncos as a whole. "I love watching the Broncos, love watching Sean," Brees said. "Man, Bo Nix is a really fun quarterback to watch. I think he's got all the traits, all the tools. Great athlete, really runs well, and I don't think he gets enough credit for how well he runs."
For Brees to say this about Nix is interesting, as they have learned from the same coach. Brees went toe-to-toe with some of the best passers football has ever seen, including Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, and all three are certain to be Hall of Famers one day.
Now, with this in mind, Nix is in his second year. Nix struggled in Week 1 of the season against the Tennessee Titans, but there is a lot of football to be played. And Brees knows this. With media and fans calling for a simplified playbook, Brees put some comforting thoughts in his interview.
"I think the complexity of the Sean Payton offense -- look, Sean will make it as complicated as you can handle," said Brees.
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Nix grasped the offense better and better as he got deeper into his rookie year, putting up 29 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards of total offense.
Take a deep breath, Broncos Country. The season is still young, and there is a lot of football yet to be played.
You can watch Brees' full five-minute clip below.
