One Blowout, One Comeback, and a Broncos Offense Still Searching for Answers

Two games into the 2026 season, the Denver Broncos have already produced the full emotional range of a football team. Week 1 was a 31-10 humiliation at Arrowhead, a game in which the offense managed 192 total yards — 131 through the air, 61 on the ground — and looked outgained by Kansas City's running game alone. Week 2 was a 20-13 grind past Jacksonville at Empower Field, a win that kept Denver out of an 0-2 hole but didn't erase the questions the opener raised.

That whiplash is the story of the Broncos' week, and it points at one place: the offense, and the man calling it.

The Davis Webb experiment is under a microscope

Sean Payton promoted Davis Webb to offensive coordinator and handed him the play-calling duties specifically to keep him from leaving for a job elsewhere. Through one game, that bet looked shaky — and the reporting that followed was telling. ESPN's Adam Schefter relayed that the team maintains a "high level of confidence and comfort" in Webb, which is the kind of statement organizations make when the alternative interpretation is on the table. The Athletic's reporting noted plainly that Payton did not like what he saw on Monday night.

The response in Week 2 was encouraging but not conclusive. Denver's offense found a rhythm in the second half, and it was enough to avoid a disastrous start. That's progress. It's also exactly what you'd expect from a unit with real talent and a first-time play-caller still learning how to sequence a game.

Bo Nix is managing, not winning

The season line tells the story: 419 passing yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, a 66.1% completion rate and an 83.9 passer rating across two starts. Add three fumbles and four sacks taken, and you have a quarterback who has been asked to keep the operation upright rather than carry it.

The split is stark. Nix completed 22 of 31 passes for 288 yards with a touchdown and a pick against Jacksonville — 71% on the day, with enough downfield work to keep Jaylen Waddle involved. Against Kansas City he was a non-factor, and so was Waddle, Denver's marquee offseason addition.

The surrounding numbers explain the caution. Denver is averaging 15.0 points and 292.0 yards per game, with the run game stuck at 82.5 yards per contest — 21st in the league. J.K. Dobbins, Jonah Coleman and RJ Harvey have formed a committee without an answer. When the ground game can't stay on schedule, everything lands on Nix's arm, and that's not yet a winning formula at 22.0 points allowed per game on defense.

The Rams are an unforgiving next test

Sunday night brings Los Angeles to Mile High, and both teams sit at 1-1 — but they arrive from opposite directions. The Rams are averaging 390.0 yards per game, with Matthew Stafford at 482 yards, four touchdowns, a 101.9 rating and Davante Adams operating as a genuine downfield alpha at 110.5 yards per game and 20.1 yards per catch. Blake Corum and Kyren Williams give Los Angeles a two-back committee that has been chewing up 5.5 to 6.0 yards per carry.

The market reflects that gap: Denver opened as a home underdog, with the Rams favored by 2.5 and the total sitting at 45.5. That's a modest number on the surface, but it's also a signal that the league views Denver's defense-and-patience formula as the underdog's path rather than the favorite's.

The one thing working in Denver's favor is that Rams quarterback pressure has been light. If Denver's 2.0 sacks per game can get Stafford off his spot, this becomes the kind of low-possession, grind-it-out game the Broncos won in Week 2.

What it means for the season

Nothing about the first two weeks has been disqualifying — the Broncos are 1-1 with a division loss and a home win, and Denver's injury report has been manageable, with the offense's skill-position names appearing only in limited capacities. But the offense is averaging 15 points a game with the run game ranked in the bottom third, and a first-time play-caller is still finding his footing.

The next month offers no soft landing. San Francisco and the Chargers follow, both on the road. If Webb and Nix can't build on the Jacksonville second half, the Broncos' season will be defined by how well a good defense can compensate for an offense that hasn't decided what it wants to be.