The Denver Broncos on Sunday will host the Carolina Panthers with a chance to improve to 5-3. If Denver gets there, it would be the team’s best start since 2016, which was also the last time it posted a winning record. There are seemingly many paths the season could still take, which makes it a perfect time to dip into the mailbag and answer questions from our subscribers.
Editor’s note: The questions below have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
What does Bo Nix need to do to take the next step? His effectiveness has almost exclusively come from his mobility, so how does he refine his passing game? Is it processing? Is it footwork? Is it receiver chemistry? — Joseph K.
To add to Joseph’s question, do you feel Nix’s happy feet and poor mechanics will improve once the game slows down for him? Or is there real concern that the NFL might be too big for him? — Stuart F.
The next step in Nix’s maturation as an NFL quarterback will come from being more consistent with the intermediate throws that are so vital to creating a sustainable and effective offense. There is a lot to like about what Nix has put together through seven weeks, despite the below-average passing numbers. His fierce competitiveness has been a boon for the Broncos, not only on offense but as a whole. And his aversion to mistakes and negative plays have helped the Broncos create the best field-position advantage in the NFL through seven games. Those are all winning traits.
There is not real concern among those inside Broncos headquarters that his subpar performance as a passer thus far is an indicator that the game is too big. They reiterate that he has played only seven games in a complex system and has already shown growth, particularly from early starts against the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers. The footwork has been an issue, but some of that is related to timing with receivers, many of whom are also still learning how to operate effectively in this offense.
Nix knows the Broncos have to take more advantage of their opportunities in the passing game down the field, especially on third down. But he feels it coming.
“The screens and the short-completion plays are working for us now,” Nix said. “Then, we’ve hit some intermediate, at times, and some explosives. Then, we’ve hit some deep shots. All of it has to continue to be good for us and that’s how you create good offense.”
After two-plus years owning the Broncos, how would you compare the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group to other NFL owners and to how Pat Bowlen ran the team? Are there any significant differences or is it still too early to evaluate? — Russell S.
It’s a good question, if a difficult one to answer definitively. Two-plus years is a reasonable enough window to evaluate the performance of a head coach and, in many cases, even a general manager or other top personnel executive. But ownership is such a long-term commitment that two-plus years is too brief a window to make sweeping declarations. With all that established, there are similarities you can see with Bowlen’s wildly successful run with the team and how co-owner Greg Penner and his group have operated. It starts with being closely in tune to the preferences and needs of players. The Walton-Penner group has already made significant investments in areas that directly relate to player wellness and performance. It can be seen daily in the giant bulldozers and cranes moving earth and equipment to build a sprawling new team headquarters that was designed with player’s daily routines at the front of mind. Bowlen may not have had the same wealth of resources as the Walton-Penner group did, but he nonetheless set a first-class standard for the player experience while running the Broncos.
Bowlen was also active on league committees and made a strong effort to cultivate relationships with alumni, areas that have also been a focus for Penner, Carrie Walton-Penner and the rest of their group. But the true measure of the Broncos’ current ownership group will be whether they can restore the team to the on-field standard Bowlen created during a 35-year run with the team that included three Super Bowl titles.
Vance Joseph is deservedly getting a lot of good press. He has done a great job optimizing that unit for success, given the injuries and perceived depth issues. With his success, we’re starting to hear he may be on some short lists for open head-coaching positions after this season. Nick, do you think Joseph is looking to make a second run as a head coach? There is a long list of great coordinators who just aren’t good head coaches. I’m wondering if Joseph may realize his sweet spot and determine his greatest path to sustained success is as a coordinator. Do you have a sense of how he’s viewing his future? — Scott D.
This is how it goes in the NFL. When you’re a coordinator whose unit is having a lot of success, as Denver’s defense certainly is this season, you draw recognition as a potential head-coaching candidate. I do believe Joseph wants that shot again at some point. His tenure in Denver lasted only two seasons, but Joseph learned a lot from his time as the Broncos’ boss. And he has said on multiple occasions the past two seasons that learning from Payton and having an up-close view to how the longtime head coach runs a team has also been an invaluable experience. Joseph has undoubtedly earned any look he gets as a head coach. He’s respected throughout the league as a collaborative teacher who adapts his system to his players. And he now has experience he didn’t have when he took the job in Denver in 2017.
But Joseph has also said his focus right now is on continuing to improve Denver’s defense, which will need to be at its best as the Broncos arrive at toughest portion of their schedule in early November. Both things can be true.
Hey, Nick. What would you say is Jonathon Cooper’s long-term future? They’ve spent a lot of draft capital on edge rushers in recent years (Nik Bonitto, second-round pick in 2022; Jonah Elliss, third-round pick in 2024). Will he take the hometown discount or be a cap casualty when we need to replace Garett Bolles and upgrade at wide receiver? — Brandon E.
The Broncos have not handed out an in-season extension for a player since giving signing wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick to long-term pacts in November of 2021. Cooper, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, is a prime candidate to break that drought. As a first-time starter last season, the 2021 seventh-round pick had a team-high and career-best 8 1/2 sacks. He already has 4 1/2 sacks, plus a forced fumble, in seven games this season, and he’s tied for eighth in the league with 29 pressures, according to TruMedia. As you note, Brandon, Bolles will be a free agent this offseason, meaning the Broncos could be looking for a new left tackle. They may also be in the market for a top wide receiver since Sutton has no guaranteed money on his deal after this season. It would be nice not to have to fill another hole at a premium position, which is why I think the Broncos should be motivated to get a long-term deal done with Cooper.
I think the Broncos get to at least 11 wins. How many do you see us winning? — Stephen K.
Eleven wins still feels optimistic to me at this stretch. Let’s start with a scenario where the Broncos win Sunday as heavy favorites against the Panthers and then lose back-to-back road games as likely heavy underdogs against the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. To get to 11 wins from there, the Broncos would need to go 6-1 over their final seven games: vs. Atlanta Falcons, at Las Vegas Raiders, vs. Cleveland Browns, vs. Indianapolis Colts, at Los Angeles Chargers, at Cincinnati Bengals, and vs. Chiefs. It’s hard for me to see a record like that materializing. Even if the Broncos are able to steal one of the upcoming road games against AFC powers, going 5-2 over the final seven games would still be a tall task, though not an impossible one.
I see the ceiling being 10 wins from here, with the Broncos more likely landing at nine. I just need to see more from this team offensively before predicting double-digit wins.
If you were running the Broncos this trade deadline, what would your top three guidelines or priorities be? — Daniel W.
It starts with being sure you are committed to the long-term vision. The Broncos are in the mix for the playoffs as the season’s quasi midpoint arrives. That could make it tempting to shift in buyer mode. But the Broncos are entering an offseason in which they will have ample cap space and each of their own draft picks in the first three rounds for the first time since 2021. Any move would need to take the picture of this upcoming offseason into account.
As for positional targets, if the Broncos were to make a move, they’d come for me on offense. Can the Broncos add a tight end who could be more of a trusted security blanket for Nix? Could they find a slot playmaker at a reasonable cost? Could they upgrade in the backfield. That’s where I would prioritize any additions.
The Broncos profile as a team that could buy and sell right now. With how well Elliss has played during his rookie season, could the Broncos open up more playing time for him and add a draft pick in a trade for Baron Browning, who will be a free agent this offseason? Those are the kind of modest moves I’d be looking at if I was running the Broncos at the deadline. This isn’t a time to go all-in unless it’s for a player who helps you in the future and fits into the financial and cultural puzzles the Broncos are balancing.
Do you see a possible QB trade before the deadline? Neither Jarrett Stidham nor Zach Wilson are signed beyond this year. It might make sense to move one if they get a decent offer. — Geoffrey G.
The teams that are trying to make a push for the playoffs as the deadline nears aren’t searching for a starting quarterback. And the squads in that spot typically have faith in their own backups, who are well-versed in their particular systems. So there’s not a fit with contenders that easy to see. The more likely scenario to me would be an out-of-contention team making a call about Wilson, hoping to evaluate him in the second half of the season ahead of his foray into free agency. But even that feels unlikely, though, because why give up draft capital for a player you could sign on a prove-it deal in a few months? Right or wrong, teams typically stick with what they have at quarterback once the season starts.
Why is Marvin Mims Jr. essentially unused on offense when there’s a clear lack of skill at wide receiver? If the guy is the third-best punt returner in the league (by average) and we’re having issues with our offense, it seems unconscionable that they’re not getting him the ball several times a game on screens and underneath routes to try to get some yards after catch. — Jesse M.
Mims had a 17-yard run on a jet sweep against the Raiders and in the same game had a 7-yard reception on a quick screen, illustrating the ways the Broncos can generate easy touches that allow him to use his speed after the catch (or handoff). Yes, the Broncos should try to incorporate more of those types of plays. But while it may sound counterintuitive, the limited use of those types of plays is what can make them effective. They are less effective if the defense knows they are coming (see: his stuffed two-point conversion run against the Chargers in Week 6).
And I don’t think it’s accurate to say Mims has been unused in the passing game. For whatever reason, he and Nix simply aren’t connecting. He’s been targeted 11 times but has only five receptions. In the game against the Chargers, the Broncos set up a third-down play for Mims over the middle, but Nix’s high pass was tipped and intercepted. Later in the game, Mims came open deep, but he couldn’t make the grab through contact as Nix left the ball under thrown. There have been times Mims would probably tell you he didn’t make a play he should have, including a pass from Nix against the New Orleans Saints last week that he could have corralled before it hit the ground.
The Broncos are going to continue to work Mims into the game plan, but we’ve seen enough to know he doesn’t profile as a high-volume target.
Does Pat Surtain II plan on wearing a Guardian Cap on his helmet when he returns from his concussion-related absence? When is he likely back in the lineup? Has he or the team ever contemplated using him on offense? — Reuven B.
Surtain, who suffered a concussion on the first defensive play of the Broncos Week 6 loss to the Chargers and didn’t play last week against the Saints, was a full participant in practice Wednesday and Thursday. Though, Payton said Wednesday that Surtain was still in the league’s concussion protocol, he said the cornerback’s progress was “positive” and his participation shows he’s trending toward a return Sunday. As for whether Surtain will wear a Guardian Cap, that’s unclear. Players still in the protocol typically don’t speak to the media, and Surtain did not have his typical session with reporters Wednesday. To this point, no Broncos player has worn a Guardian Cap in a regular-season game.
As for playing Surtain on offense, there have been no discussions about that. He is one of the league’s very best at his position and that’s where the Broncos need him.
(Top photo: Gus Stark/Getty Images)
