Sean Payton takes the blame for Bo Nix’s struggles against the Colts

The Denver Broncos faced the Indianapolis Colts at home in Week 15. The game took many wild turns, but the Broncos won 31-13 to improve their record to 9-5 on the season.

This game did not go as planned, and head coach Sean Payton had a lot to say in his opening statement after the game.

“Obviously it was good to get the win. It was a difficult game just from an execution standpoint. There were a number of things that we have to improve on, starting with me. At halftime, I said to them that every key indicator and key to victory we outlined at the start of the week that we are doing the opposite relative to what we thought would be important. We flipped the script a little bit in the second half. I thought the punt returns and the takeaways were obviously big. We found a way to win. We don’t have a lot of time, but we cannot go home tomorrow night when the day is finished and not have looked at that film and made the corrections. That starts with all of us as coaches. We struggled to find any rhythm offensively, certainly we turned it over. But we made enough plays in the second half. I thought the punt return game helped us. That was significant and that is where we are at,” Payton said.

Here are three observations from the Broncos win over the Colts in Week 15.

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Finding Ways to Win

The Broncos did not play a great game, specifically on offense. However, the defense did struggle against QB Anthony Richardson as a runner and RB Jonathan Taylor. While Richardson struggled as a passer (as per usual), he was able to gash the Broncos on the ground in the first half. The Broncos rush defense was tested by both players, and they surrendered 149 yards on 32 carries.

Taylor had over 100 yards rushing himself, gaining 107 yards on 22 carries. He would have even had more had a 40-plus yard scamper to the end zone counted in the third quarter. Instead of taking a commanding lead, Taylor dropped the ball before he crossed the goal line. That gaffe gave the ball back to the Broncos, and it changed the momentum of the game.

Nik Bonitto appreciates the way his team found a way to win.

“That’s just finding different ways to win. That’s how this team is. We’re tough. We’re going to keep fighting to the end, even if it doesn’t go our way. We’re going to keep trying to find ways to win, and that’s what we did today,” Bonitto said.

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Broncos Make Second Half Adjustments on Defense

The Broncos had a tough time slowing down the Colts offense in the first half, but they did make adjustments in the second half. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph figured out a way to better stuff the run while staying cautious against the pass.

Richardson is not a great passer, but he does have a big arm and is a bit fearless (if not reckless) when going down the field. Joseph’s defense had to stay alert no matter the down and distance because of Richardson’s arm strength. He does give defenders a chance to get the ball, and the Broncos responded with two key interceptions.

In addition, there was the fumble recovery that Bonitto took back to the house for a defensive score. Things weren’t pretty in the first half, but momentum was built by big plays from defenders taking advantage of Colts turnovers.

“Those were some of the challenges. At halftime, we talked about the quarterback run. On special teams, we talked about winning the net punt battle. We were not doing that. Offensively, ball security at a premium. We were not doing that. That was frustrating. We as coaches, starting with myself, have to do a better job and we will. It won’t be fun looking at the tape. It is fun knowing the ending of it, but we have a quick turnaround with a Thursday night game. I just didn’t want to get into a game where we were like rope-a-doping with that team. I wanted to certainly start faster than we did. The punt returns and the takeaways in the second half were obviously the difference,” Payton said.

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Sean Payton Takes Blame for Bo Nix’s Bad Game

Payton seemed to take the blame for Bo Nix’s bad game – at least partly. Nix really struggled against the Colts for most of the game, and he finished the contest with three interceptions.

This was arguably the worst game Nix has had all season long. It’s at least his worst performance since the first two weeks of the season when he was just learning the ropes. Nix has been outstanding most weeks, but he struggled mightily against the Colts.

It seemed at times that every throw he made was either off the mark, intercepted, or knocked down at the line of scrimmage. The Colts had a good game plan to stop Nix, and it worked for most of the game. However, Payton did not shy away from blaming himself.

“Listen, I get mad at myself. A couple of the calls I gave him. He has one read that he knows better. It was just one of those nights where we weren’t as efficient, especially against a zone defense like that. You’re not going to hit as many big plays. I think early on he was like 6-for-8, but then there were some forced throws and then a few calls that were dumb by me. I have to be better,” Payton said.

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