Facing a third-and-10, Denver Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton was running down the sideline, a step ahead of the nearest Chargers cornerback. Second-year quarterback Bo Nix’s pass went just past the diving Sutton, the Broncos punted and the Chargers went on a game-winning drive.

What if Nix just made that pass? Denver probably wins the game, as the completion likely would have been just enough for field goal range with less than two minutes remaining. Instead of winning the game and taking hold of first place in the AFC West, Denver is 1-2 and looking to get back on track.

Nix always was going to be the focus of the 2025 Denver Broncos, at least for the fans. While he hasn’t completely lost the fans’ trust, he’s had some prominent lows through three games. Besides the miss to Sutton in the fourth quarter, Nix couldn’t seem to connect on his deep shots. He also missed two shots to Marvin Mims that likely would have resulted in touchdowns.

Generally, three missed passes that don’t result in turnovers shouldn’t be overblown. But this is a frequent struggle for Nix. On the first attempt to Mims, head coach Sean Payton called a flea flicker that would have worked perfectly if Nix was on target. The ball was just past Mims’ outstretched hands. He had Nix and Troy Franklin and if he got the ball to either of them, it would have been a 63-yard touchdown on third and long.

If Nix was just slightly off, that would have been one thing, but Nix missed because of his bad habits in the pocket. The sophomore dances around in the pocket and throws off balance much too often, and that’s why he missed Mims on the first try.

Nix had an edge rusher coming at him from the right edge, but he just needed to take a step or two up into the pocket. Instead of stepping up and settling, he unnecessarily kept moving and tried to make the throw while on the run. That’s enough to result in a missed target.

The second miss was much less on Nix. He stepped up in the pocket, stood strong and put the ball just in front of Mims, but the receiver was thrown just enough off his route to make for an incompletion. Nix could have made the pass, and it was a missed opportunity, but it’s a tough pass to make.

His final big miss to Sutton simply needs to be completed. He stayed still in the pocket, and while he could have been lined up with his target a little better, it was just a simple miss. If Nix converted that pass, Denver would have had a first down at the Los Angeles 35-yard line, and it would have been the Broncos’ game to lose.

“A lot has been made of the two long balls,’’ Payton said Monday. “I’ll be honest with you, driving in this morning, that’d be like 50th on my to-do list item.” Payton obviously isn’t blaming the quarterback, but he never does. For better or for worse, Payton essentially refuses to say a bad thing about Nix.

And the rest of the Denver team is on board with having the back of their quarterback. “I gotta make more plays for him, and that's it,” running back J.K. Dobbins said after the loss. “He ain't made no bad throws. It is what it is. We gotta make a play for him, even if it's not a (well)-placed ball. Gotta make the play."

Whether the blame falls primarily on Nix or those around him, this aspect of the Denver offense needs to improve. Sunday, Nix completed three-of-nine passes more than 10 air yards down the field, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Against the Indianapolis Colts, Nix was three-of-seven with two touchdowns and a pick on passes 10 air yards down the field. And against the Tennessee Titans, he had three completions, a touchdown and two interceptions on nine attempts.

Within 10 yards, the former Oregon Duck is great. But as he starts to push the ball down the field, his accuracy starts to decline. Last year, he completed 41.6% of his 77 attempts 20 yards or further down the field, according to Pro Football Focus.

Nix is capable of hitting those throws, but it seems the more he thinks about the throw, the worse it goes. On Nix’s miss to Mims against Tennessee on fourth down, Nix put a lot of air on the ball, but didn’t throw an accurate pass. That’s the same thing that happened Sunday.

The second-year signal caller is still learning, but the deep game needs to start working as intended. Payton has his flaws as a play caller, but he’s making big-time calls at the right times. Nix just needs to convert them.