Bo Nix endured one of the roughest performances of his Broncos career during Denver’s 31-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He completed 17 of 28 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, while also throwing an interception and losing three fumbles.

Naturally, much of the criticism landed on Denver’s quarterback. However, former Broncos star Mark Schlereth believes the coaching staff deserves a significant portion of the blame.

Schlereth specifically criticized Denver’s offensive approach and the way it put Nix in difficult situations. He believes the quarterback’s performance cannot be separated from the scheme surrounding him.

“It was awful, and you know you can sit there...because it's the easiest thing to do is look at Bo Nix and say, ‘Hey, Bo Nix wasn't very good.’ But I thought, from a coaching standpoint, a schematic standpoint. I thought it was one of the worst game plans I've ever watched.”

The criticism comes after Denver’s offense repeatedly struggled to establish itself. The Broncos passed far more often than they ran early, while Kansas City controlled the line of scrimmage and eventually pulled away.

Schlereth’s assessment gives Nix some relief from the criticism. The quarterback certainly made mistakes, but the Broncos also failed to put him in enough favorable situations.

Bo Nix Refuses to Press the Panic Button After Broncos’ Loss

Despite the ugly opener, Nix insists the Broncos remain confident about their season. He said Denver is “not going to press the panic button” and believes the team remains in a good position.

That mindset matters with Jacksonville arriving in Denver for Week 2. Nix, Davis Webb and Sean Payton now have an immediate opportunity to correct the offensive issues exposed in Kansas City.

The Broncos cannot erase what happened at Arrowhead. But they can respond, and Nix believes they have plenty of time to prove that the loss was simply a bad night.

Written by

Joseph Nithin