Bo Nix will stay the Broncos' starting quarterback. Coach Sean Payton said Monday that Denver is not considering a bench move as the offense struggles, per ESPN. Yahoo Sports' Chris Cwik framed it as the Broncos having no plans to make a quarterback change amid Nix's rough start.

The question came up after Thursday night's overtime win over the Seahawks. Pro Football Talk and Yahoo Sports both noted that Prime Video analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick sharply criticized Nix on the broadcast and called his performance "garbage." Those summaries don't include Payton's own words on Monday, so we can't say how he answered the criticism.

Our box score shows why the criticism landed. In the 17-14 win over Seattle, Nix went 17 of 27 for 107 yards, averaging 4.0 yards per attempt. He had no touchdowns and no interceptions, and he was sacked twice for 13 yards. His rating was 71.1. The summaries describe the win as an overtime game. Denver's offense produced little, and Nix added only 2 yards on four carries.

The season numbers are weak too. Cwik noted that Nix has just six touchdown passes in six games, and our data agrees. He has 1,049 yards on 114 of 189 passing (60.3%), with three interceptions, eight sacks and a 79.4 rating. His ESPN QBR is 38.2. He averages 5.6 yards per attempt, down from 6.4 last season, when he threw 25 touchdowns in 17 games. He has also fumbled several times. Fumble lines in the game logs show three in the opener at Kansas City and two at the Chargers, with one lost in each game.

The record is better than the passing. Denver is 4-2, second in the AFC West, and has won two straight: 23-17 at the Chargers on Oct. 11, then the Seattle game. The only loss in the last three came 24-14 at San Francisco on Oct. 4, when Nix threw 42 times for 214 yards and a touchdown.

The next test is Sunday, Oct. 25, at Arizona. Payton's stance means Nix will start that game.