Broncos fans blast Sean Payton as Bo Nix-led offense puts up 6 points vs Steelers - "He might be the dumbest coach ever"

The Denver Broncos fell to 0-2 with Bo Nix as their starter but fans are placing the blame on head coach Sean Payton rather than the rookie quarterback.

The offense scored just six points against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, resulting in another loss despite their defense holding the opposition to just 13 points.

It brought back memories of some of the worst games for Denver, and there have been many since Peyton Manning retired. One of Bo Nix's predecessors was on the opposite sideline as Russell Wilson lined up for the Steelers but was inactive. The former Seahawks quarterback was widely criticized last season and blamed for seemingly holding the Broncos offense back but fans have now turned on Sean Payton too.

Here are some of the reactions on X.

Others echoed similar messages and asked Payton to put more effort into protecting and preparing a rookie quarterback.

"At some point, Sean Payton will have to accept or realize that Bo Nix is a rookie QB," one fan said. "Play calling should reflect that, this offensive line—I mean, I don't even know what to say, and I don't know if it can get better. You have to protect your young QB, throwing him to the wolves can damage his confidence forever. And then you're right back to square one."

"When both veteran Russell Wilson and rookie Bo Nix do their best work - by far - in Sean Payton’s scheme when they go off-script and improvise… maybe it’s not as much about the QB as y’all seem to think it is," another fan surmised.

"Sean Payton was right about Bo Nix but he also might be the one to ruin Bo Nix," one suggested.

Sean Payton's Patrick Mahomes comparison for Bo Nix could backfire

After the Broncos selected Bo Nix in the first round of the NFL Draft, Sean Payton mentioned that he believed the rookie could be an immediate starter. He compared Denver's current starting quarterback's potential to that of Patrick Mahomes. Having missed out on the Chiefs star when he was with the New Orleans Saints, the Broncos head coach made sure to get his pick this time.

However, Bo Nix has a long way to go if he is to do justice to the comparisons. The Denver quarterback has started the first two games of the 2024 NFL season after beating out Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham during training camp and preseason.

He has no touchdowns and four interceptions. He has 384 yards in total, averaging fewer than 200 yards per game. His completion rate is 59.7 percent and his cumulative passer rating is 51.0.

Bo Nix needs to show a lot of improvement before he can satisfy observers that he could be a long-term starting quarterback, never mind a future Hall of Famer.

But his struggles also raise questions about Sean Payton, who is widely regarded as an offensive mastermind. Having gotten rid of Russell Wilson in the offseason, Payton will need to take ownership of anything that goes wrong on offense now.