The Denver Broncos wanted to carry as much as they could over from the 2025 season into the 2026 season. Just steps away from the Super Bowl last season, the Broncos retained nearly off their starters, believing that the team could make another legitimate run at a Lombardi Trophy.
But there was one thing they didn't want to bring with them from last season: slow starts to games.
That was an issue all last season for the Broncos, forcing several wild fourth-quarter comebacks and a record number of wins in one-score games. In each of their first two games this season, the Broncos have gotten off to slow starts.
Against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, the Broncos had just seven points at halftime. In Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Broncos had just six
points from two field goals on the board at the break before scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
It's not ideal, and it's not sustainable. Luckily, the team plays great on defense most of the time and keeps the offense in games. But it's a trend coach Sean Payton and the fanbase would love to see end.
How do the Broncos get off to quicker starts?
Recently, former NFL All-Pro linebacker Lavonte David, who spent his entire 14-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before retiring in March, joined Kay Adams on FanDuel TV’s Up and Adams show and gave his thoughts on the situation.
How do the Broncos fix their slow starts?
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) September 21, 2026
3x All-Pro LB Lavonte David's answer: Get Bo Nix moving outside the pocket 🏃♂️@heykayadams | @LavonteDavid54 pic.twitter.com/ajmSHf57x3
"I think, I believe, it's more about preseason getting revved up, especially Bo, he's coming off of injury, so he probably didn't take as many reps as he wanted to throughout training camp and preseason, stuff like that," David said on Up and Adams. "It's probably going to take (some time) to get going a little bit, get some reps, get hit a couple times and grow from certain mistakes and things like that, he's gotta be able to see it in full speed."
David also discussed playing against the Broncos and Bo Nix in Nix's rookie season, a game in which the Broncos won 26-7.
"I remember when we played him (Nix), it was like his second start, I believe. That's exactly what they did to us was move him a little bit, give him some bootlegs, some quick throws and basically taking what the defense gave him to get him in a rhythm and that's when everything took off for him".
While the slow offensive starts may not be solely the fault of Nix, David brings up some great points and getting Nix into that rhythm he talked about should be a focal point for coach Sean Payton and Davis Webb this Sunday night against the Los Angeles Rams.
If they can find a formula for success in that area, it can be sustainable and that's exactly how this team can reverse this trend. Mike Shanahan used to script the first 15 plays of the game. Perhaps Payton and Webb can identify a group of plays specifically designed to get Nix off to a better start in each game.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Lavonte David shares how Bo Nix and Broncos can start games better
