For the Denver Broncos, the final scoreboard read ‘win,’ but the sound from the stands was boos. The 10-7 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders felt more like a warning than a celebration, a reality quarterback Bo Nix and head coach Sean Payton are not ignoring. While the defense shouldered the team throughout the game, the offense struggled with issues that must be addressed. Nix acknowledged the offense’s struggles but also reminded everyone of the team’s recent success, stressing his focus is on fixing the issues.

He explained that the offense needs to “be better.” While Nix admitted that the offense wasn’t up to par, he pointed out that the defense was able to lead the team.

“You can win a lot of games with the defense playing like that. And the special teams gave us a spark. But at some point, we have to start scoring more points,” he told Troy Renck, while subtly praising what the defense did in the game.

But the offense was out of sync and was booed multiple times by the fans. Nix completed 16-of-28 for 150 yards with a touchdown and threw two interceptions. He struggled to find rhythm throughout the game.

“I have been booed before, and I will be booed again. It won’t be the last time. Obviously, you don’t want your own fans booing you, but that’s part of it.”

However, he reminded the fans about the team’s position in the league.

“Seven wins in a row is hard to come by,” the QB said, as per Broncos beat reporter Zac Stevens.

Yes, the league heard him loud and clear. The Broncos are riding an impressive streak of seven consecutive wins. Thanks to the defense, which, in this game, sacked Raiders QB Geno Smith 6 times. They held the team to 186 yards.

And while the quarterback shouldered his share of the blame, the view from the head coach’s headset was just as critical—especially of himself.

Even head coach Sean Payton stressed that the Broncos are the only team with 8 wins as of now. However, they haven’t swept the issues under the rug. Coach Payton wasn’t even hesitant to point out his mistakes during the press conference.

Bo Nix’s HC addressed his playcalling mistakes

One issue came on third-and-1 when Coach Payton made a questionable call. Bo Nix threw a backward pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton, but the Raiders’ defense was able to handle it well. Another problem was kicker Wil Lutz’s missed 59-yard field goal attempt.

“I felt like it was a night where I was looking on the wrong section of the third-down sheet.”

He later added that he shouldn’t have “attempted the 59-yard field goal.” And it wasn’t just his playcalling.

The coach also called out the issues with penalties. The team racked up 11 penalties for 78 yards against the Raiders. That’s not a good look for the team.

“We got to clean up the penalties,” he told the reporters. “We got to clean up some of the execution, and that is an ongoing thing that probably never ends. You search for that ‘Shangri-La.”

The Broncos’ dilemma of winning despite offensive struggles and penalties mirrors the situation the Pittsburgh Steelers have faced this season, where Mike Tomlin’s team has managed a winning record largely on the back of its defense while the offense sputters. It raises a league-wide question about the sustainability of winning without a high-powered offense in the modern NFL.

For now, the Broncos will get a brief but much-needed rest before facing the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10. And the team must avoid the same old mistakes.