Bo Nix: Broncos offense has to ‘find some juice somewhere’ after ‘sluggish’ win over Raiders
It was relevant that Thursday’s game-winning field goal came on a drive in which the Broncos got the ball at their own 12-yard line after a blocked punt, but moved back 2 yards in three plays before Wil Lutz came in for a chip-shot FG.
According to NFL Research, the Broncos became the third team since 2000 to win a game despite scoring 10 or fewer points, 10 or fewer first downs, and committing more than two turnovers. Until Thursday, the team’s record in such performances since 2000 was 2-202. Other wins: Detroit vs. Dallas (9-7) in Week 9 of 2002, and Miami vs. the New York Jets (10-6) in Week 14 of 2010.
Thankfully, the Broncos have a defense that can overwhelm opponents, giving the offense time to figure things out. Denver won seven consecutive games for the first time since 2015, improving their record to 8-2.
“I think you have to stay composed,” Nix said. “You have to understand this is the NFL. It’s hard to win seven in a row. So you’re doing something right, but at the same time, you’re also doing something wrong because I think there’s still a lot left to do.”
Nix had 150 passing yards with one touchdown pass and two interceptions. The home crowd in the Mile High City was booed due to the poor offensive performance. Nix was sidelined after the win.
“I’ve been booed before and I’ll be booed again,” he said.
The Broncos were fortunate that the Raiders’ offensive performance was equally poor on Thursday.
Denver and Vegas both had 10 first downs and 11 penalties. According to Bill Smith of NFL Research, this is only the second time since 1950 that both teams have had more penalties than first downs in a game. The other time was in 1976 between two stretch teams, Seattle and Tampa Bay, who were 0-5. That day, the Seahawks defeated the Bucs, where Jim Zorn (167 yards) and Steve Spurrier (170 yards) threw for more yards than Nix or Geno Smith (143 yards) on Thursday night.
Running back J.K. Dobbins spoke about the offense, saying they have to live up to their commitment.
“Yeah, well, our record is 8-2… [but] the defense is winning us games, and we’re not helping them. We’re not doing them justice,” Dobbins said. “I feel bad about how we play offensively and how they play defensively because they’re doing so well and we’re doing so poorly. They’re our brothers too, and it’s too bad because they play so many games, they play with all their heart. We can’t do that to them.”
The Broncos are the first team in the NFL with eight wins, and have a two-win lead over the Chargers and three ahead of the Chiefs in the AFC West. But until the offense comes to life, Denver won’t be able to intimidate any of its opponents.