Broncos Secure Win, But Quarterback Faces Criticism
The Broncos pulled off a nail-biting victory on Thursday, yet their quarterback isn’t in the clear. Ryan Fitzpatrick had some strong words for Bo Nix.
Thanks to a defense that successfully intercepted Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, Denver came away with a 17-14 win in the matchup known as “Thursday Night Football.” However, the Broncos’ offensive performance was less than impressive, totaling only 168 yards.
Nix, who struggled with a modest 123-yard passing game against the Chargers the previous Sunday, faced further difficulties on Thursday, completing 17 of 27 passes for a mere 107 yards. This represented the second-lowest passing yardage in Nix’s career, just surpassing a 60-yard outing against the Jets in torrential rain during Week 4 of 2024.
On this particular night, Nix recorded just 4 yards per attempt—his lowest this season—which must have frustrated Fitzpatrick, a seasoned quarterback with 17 years of experience.
Fitzpatrick expressed his disappointment during the Prime Video postgame show, stating, “Bo Nix is not playing competitively. It’s almost disrespectful to the quarterback position how he’s playing football.”
When prompted for clarification, Fitzpatrick elaborated: “First of all, the guy doesn’t want to throw the ball, and that’s fine. He’s just making short throws, and he seems to lack trust from his coach, Sean Payton. A screen play on third-and-8? Come on. Just let the clock run. Instead, he throws it away, handing the ball back to Seattle.”
He continued, “Then, in overtime, he had two chances to step up. The second opportunity was a designed run for him to make a move and secure a first down. Now the team is celebrating their win in the locker room, but he’s not playing the competitive football we expect!”
Charissa Thompson, the host, appreciated Fitzpatrick’s intense take, saying, “You are playing a competitive broadcaster, and I love that you are fired up.”
It’s worth noting that Nix’s season in 2025 ended prematurely due to a fractured ankle in the AFC divisional round, forcing him to sit out the following week’s conference championship against the Patriots.
Before last week’s game in Los Angeles, Payton had assumed play-calling responsibilities from offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Despite two wins for the Broncos since this change, the performance on the field remains pretty mediocre.
Fitzpatrick pondered: “I can only imagine how Sean Payton feels. Payton, Webb, and everyone blocking for him must be frustrated. Nix isn’t competing right now, and that’s been a hallmark of his play over the past two years. I’m not sure if he’s still hurt or what, but what we’re seeing just isn’t good enough—it’s a lack of effort.”
