ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton often calls the plays chosen to start each game "the openers." They are carefully selected and whittled down after hours of crunching the numbers, discussions, review and then more review. The team's quarterbacks, including rookie starter Bo Nix, choose their favorites in a final meeting each week -- "to dot" them, as Payton says.
But these selections haven't performed well in 2024. While the Broncos have largely ridden their defense to a 3-3 record, the offense's opening acts have ruined three shows and were perilously close to wrecking at least two more. Payton, Nix and the rest of the Broncos have largely been unable to create, find or keep any momentum before halftime in all but one game.
And now the Broncos have the quickest of turnarounds to search for any answers to these issues, with a Thursday night showdown against the New Orleans Saints (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video).
"All of this starts with me," Payton said. "We have to be better offensively. We have to protect the ball better. That is what I saw. We will go from there."
Their first-half performances can be put into two categories: Week 3 in Tampa Bay and everything else. In a 26-7 victory over the Buccaneers, the Broncos scored two touchdowns and hit two field goals through six first-half possessions.
But in their five games outside of Tampa, the Broncos have accumulated 20 punts, two interceptions, two lost fumbles and 15 three-and-outs over 30 first-half possessions. They're 2-3 in those games, and their only first-half touchdown came in the second quarter of a Week 5 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The defense stole another victory in Week 4, holding the New York Jets to zero touchdowns.
In Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Nix threw a tipped-ball interception on his first pass attempt of the game and the Chargers turned that into a field goal. Broncos running back Javonte Williams later fumbled in the second quarter, and the Chargers found the end zone.
Toss in another touchdown drive and another field goal drive -- a 20-play marathon -- and Los Angeles had a 20-0 lead at halftime. Denver's fourth-quarter comeback attempt was largely empty with too-little, too-late yards against a defense playing deep centerfield in the 23-16 loss.
"There at the end, there's only so much that they can call [on defense] because they're in prevent or two-minute defense," Nix said. "We study that and we see it. ... At that moment, you're just trying to make completions and push the ball down the field at the same time."
Nix added: "So, moral of the story, we just have to protect the ball in the first half. Then we'll do better in the second if we can get in that rhythm faster."
In all, Denver is 30th in first-half scoring, averaging 5.8 points per game before halftime. In the second half, it is tied for 15th at 11.0 points per game. The Broncos also rank 31st in yards per play (3.7) and last in offensive EPA (minus-43.8) in the first half, as opposed to 14th (5.5) and 16th (positive-2.0), respectively, in the second.
Part of the issue, which some opposing defensive coaches have affirmed, is that Nix is far more comfortable with the smaller menu of plays in two-minute or hurry-up situations at this point. It has worked when defenses have dialed things back to protect multi-score leads but not nearly as well when defenses are sticking to their game plans early.
"Let's be honest, it picked up when we started going up-tempo and you are behind," Payton said Sunday. "You are getting a different coverage look. ... We played with tempo early in the second quarter and fumbled the football. Those were all up-tempo plays, but I think toward the fourth quarter we were able to make some plays down the field. The game was in a different position at that point."
When the Broncos have been in a game that's still in the balance, they haven't found the right mix between Nix's comfort level and what actually works against defenses. They haven't been as effective when Nix is under center -- usually between 15-25 snaps (including penalty snaps) each week -- and haven't run the ball consistently in the shotgun.
The Broncos are also last in the NFL in the use of motion pre-snap or at the snap (30.3%) and 25th in play-action (20.4%). Defensive coaches have said they get a more static look at the Broncos pre-snap, and Nix isn't far enough in his development to stand and deliver over and over again from the pocket.
Sunday, it was particularly concerning on third downs. The Broncos were 2-of-6 in the opening half and 3-of-11 in the game.
"You have to know the down and distance, and complete passes or execute plays," Nix said. "I don't know what else. You have to think moving into third downs. You have to execute to find ways to make the play work. You have to hit it, and if [it's] not [there], you have to make a play, scramble.
Payton said Monday any decisions about putting Nix in more hurry-up or two-minute type looks earlier in games would be "game-plan driven."
And overall, the Broncos believe they showed in Tampa Bay what's necessary to improve their first-half play. But turnovers, penalties and missed opportunities can't continue to hurt them.
"We can't dig ourselves into a hole that we're going to have to do a lot of things really well in the second half to get out of," wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. "I think the fight that we showed in the second half of games definitely says a lot about the character of this team ... but we can't have slow starts, that's converting plays and executing. No secrets, just that."