In a game that embodied smashmouth football, Knute Rockne himself would have been proud. The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Denver Broncos 13-6 in a penalty-filled affair in which neither offense had any room to maneuver.
Offensive Performance
Nix threw 35 times for 231 yards, with no touchdowns, and two interceptions. For the season, he has zero passing touchdowns and four interceptions. The offense has been downright offensive through two games.
Sean Payton sent Russell Wilson packing to the Steelers (Wilson, sidelined by injury, never saw action on Sunday) because the coach did not think Wilson was a good fit for the offensive scheme Payton wanted to run in Denver. It’s becoming clear that Wilson may not have been the main culprit for the Broncos’ offensive struggles. Payton must take a long, hard look in the mirror this week and see where he needs to improve to help his young offensive offense gain traction. The team has scored 26 points in their first two games of the season.
Defensive Performance
The Denver Broncos defense was solid despite losing starters John Franklin-Myers (concussion) and Baron Browning (foot injury) to injuries. The defense gave up 10 points in the first half by seemingly allowing the Steelers to run the ball at will.
Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph made effective adjustments at halftime. The defense only gave up three points and limited the rushing game. The defense kept the team in the game, and if they continue to play at this level, the Denver Broncos will have a chance in most games.
Moving Forward
The Denver Broncos’ offensive coaching staff got cold-rolled by a massive steel barrier on Sunday afternoon. Head Coach Sean Payton is the Broncos’ play caller, and he has been preaching all offseason that the Denver Broncos need to play good defense and run the ball to help their rookie quarterback. The defense has held up its end of the agreement. It is time for Payton to commit to the running game. The Broncos ran the ball only 19 times in the game for an average of 3.4 yards a carry. That is not a commitment to the running game.
Payton must loosen the reins, trust his quarterback, and let Bo Nix play football. It doesn’t get any easier for the Denver Broncos as they travel to the Gulf Coast and take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Given their poor start, the Broncos have much to clean up before arriving in Florida. It is time for Payton to prove that he made the right decision to let Wilson walk and go all in on Nix.
