Steelers CBs Literally Mocked Bo Nix During Week 2 Win

When Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton arrived at Mile High Stadium in 2023, he wasn’t happy with what he found. Following Denver’s Super Bowl 50 championship, the departure of veteran management led to a deterioration in the team’s culture. By the time Payton was hired as head coach, the team was in dire straits.

During Payton’s tenure, Denver has made aggressive moves to reshape its roster with young talent. Last year, the Broncos spent a league-high $219.2 million on the first day of free agency, focusing on improving the running game, which is a key component of Payton’s offense. This year, the emphasis has been on the passing game.

After releasing Russell Wilson as a free agent, the Broncos selected Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. So far, the investment hasn’t paid off.

The Broncos began the 2024 regular season with two straight losses, largely due to the team’s offensive struggles. The Broncos suffered a 13-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2.

During an appearance on Steve Smith Sr.’s podcast, James Palmer said that the Steelers cornerbacks were making fun of Nix after the game.

“I was in the Steelers locker room going against a rookie like Bo Nix, who was making his second NFL start,” Palmer said, via CBS Sports. “(After the game), I was talking to the Steelers corners and they were sitting there laughing in the corner, saying, ‘We knew the playbook was this big (gestures with little fingers). We knew they weren’t going to shoot, and we know what he likes to do. They’re going to make it easy for him to go here and there, and that’s all we had to worry about.'”

Nix completed 20 of 35 passes for 246 yards and two interceptions in the game.

Nix was named Denver’s starting quarterback after dazzling in the preseason, but the regular season wasn’t as kind to the rookie.

In two games, Nix has completed just 11 of 36 passes that have gone over 5 yards. He has also thrown four interceptions on those passes. His 30.6 percent completion rate on those passes is the worst through two games in the last decade, according to Austin Gayle of The Ringer.

Payton’s fit with the West Coast offense is designed to exploit defenses with versatile, unpredictable concepts. At first glance, Nix seemed like a natural fit for the offense, which utilizes a high volume of quick, high-percentage passing principles.

As Nix develops, the Broncos will begin to incorporate more complex concepts into their offense. For now, the team needs to do a better job of providing Nix with the support he needs. Nix is ​​the only quarterback to lead his team in rushing in his first two career games, according to OptaSTATS.