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Bo Nix Apologists Wonder Who to Blame After Loss to Chargers

For every fan ready to declare Bo a bust, there were others more eager to castigate head coach Sean Payton.
October 14, 2024
Image: Bo Nix at press conference
A lot of Broncos fans mimicked this Bo Nix expression during the October 13 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Denver Broncos via YouTube

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The Denver Broncos entered into their October 13 home game against the Los Angeles Chargers riding a three-game winning streak and a wave of fan enthusiasm that bordered on the irrational. The defense was the dominant force in victories over Tampa Bay, New York and Las Vegas, yet plenty of loyalists viewed admitting this fact as a slur on rookie quarterback Bo Nix, whom they desperately want to anoint D-Town's savior whether or not his play justifies such fealty.

Did the Chargers' 23-16 besting of the Broncos cause the scales to fall from the eyes of these devotees? Perhaps to a minor degree, since Nix's suckage during the first half in particular was so powerful that Hoover should immediately give him a lifetime endorsement deal. But judging by their post-game responses on social media, the truest Bo-Ners still have faith that Nix will prove to be the next Chosen One.

Please make some room, Tim Tebow.

In the lead-up to the contest, Nix's media defenders built their case for his excellence on his improved ability to take care of the ball; after tossing a cumulative four interceptions in losses to the Seahawks and Steelers, he'd gone pick-free in weeks three through five. But this storyline died on yesterday's third snap, when Nix sailed a downfield heave over intended receiver Marvin Mims Jr. and into the waiting arms of the Chargers' cornerback Elijah Molden. And while the Denver D managed to hold golden-boy QB Justin Herbert and his mates to a field goal after this botch, super-cornerback Patrick Surtain II suffered a concussion during the series that put him on the shelf for the remainder of the afternoon.

Surtain's absence was keenly felt. Following a Broncos three-and-out that netted a grand total of four yards, the Chargers took over on their own seventeen yard line and promptly sped down the field. Fewer than three minutes later, Herbert hit running Kimani Vidal for a 38-yard scoring strike to extend the L.A. lead to ten. After another field goal and a second touchdown set up by a Javonte Williams fumble, the Chargers had a 20-0 advantage on the scoreboard and enormous superiority in time of possession.

Before the break, the Broncos' offense was on the turf for under nine minutes of a possible thirty, in part because Nix consistently held on to the pigskin for far too long, giving the Chargers more than enough time to disrupt any good thing that might otherwise have happened.

In the third stanza, L.A. added another field goal to its bounty, after which the team started to coast — and only then did Nix and the Broncos begin to awaken from their slumber. Nix threw two touchdown passes, to Troy Franklin and Courtland Sutton, respectively, and set up kicker Will Lutz for a three-pointer that reduced the deficit to a single score. But a pair of onside kick attempts failed, transforming the Broncos' attempt at a garbage-time comeback into much ado about nothing.

Thanks to the Chargers' late largesse, Nix ended the day with less putrid stats than he deserved: nineteen completions in 33 attempts for 215 yards. But aside from that interception, he only connected on three passes in the entire first half — one for six yards, two others for eight — and was often more effective with his legs (he scrambled for 61 yards in total) than his arm.

Nonetheless, citizens of Broncos Country on X didn't exactly dog-pile on Nix after the clock hit zero. For every person ready to declare Bo a bust, there were others more eager to castigate head coach Sean Payton for his conservative play-calling or bemoan the mediocrity of the roster in general.

Nix won't have to wait long for a chance at redemption: The Broncos play again on Thursday Night Football against a vulnerable opponent — Payton's old team, the New Orleans Saints, whose starting quarterback, Derek Carr, is injured. A Denver triumph in prime time will generate more calls for Nix's veneration, but if the Broncos lose, the excuses for Bo could well feel even more tortured than they already do.

Continue to count down our picks for the twenty most memorable takes, capped by a call for yet another messiah — this one with a magical last name.

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Image: Michael Roberts
Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.
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