Week 1 is over, with the Denver Broncos 20:26 against the The Seattle SeahawksThe Broncos had good field position several times, but the offense was unable to capitalize. The defense kept them in the game in the first half, but struggled in the second.

Many fans no doubt hoped the Broncos could prove their critics wrong from the start, but rookie quarterback Bo Nix showed he still has a long way to go with his play and building rapport with his receivers. Additionally, the Broncos may have lost a key offensive player for at least a couple of games, as left tackle Garett Bolles had to leave the game early with a lower leg injury.

The Broncos defense had some good early performances but couldn’t keep up the pace in the second half. Denver’s special teams did a good job throughout.

But week 1 is not the indicator of how a team will perform throughout the season. That’s why football analyst Aaron Schatz calls Week 1 “National Jump to Conclusions Week.” A single game sample is not enough to reliably judge a team.

We saw this to some extent last season when the Broncos lost in Week 1 in a narrow loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Denver was then humiliated by the Miami Dolphins in a historic loss in Week 3. But later the tide turned for the Broncos and they finished the season 8-9 despite many weaknesses in the team.

This team will still have some growing pains, but that doesn’t mean everything that happened in Seattle is indicative of how the season will go. There may be one or two things that are cause for concern, but the key is to see the Broncos improve as the season goes on and continue to perform well in the areas they have performed well in.

Here are four things to consider about the Broncos’ Week 1 loss and whether fans should be so quick to jump to conclusions.

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There’s no sugarcoating it: Nix had a bad start to the season. He stared at the receivers, his technique was a mess, and he tried to force plays.

After one game, it’s easy to believe that all the experts who predicted Nix would be a flop were right. It’s easy to believe that a rookie QB has to look like CJ Stroud right from the start to have a future in this league.

However, that is not always the case. While Nix has struggled, he has made some good throws. He has shown that he can escape the pocket and either extend the game or gain yards on the ground.

What Nix needs to learn is to make his reads faster. That will only happen with time. The question is, can he do it? If he can do it, he can be a good starting quarterback, if not, he has no future with the Broncos.

However, it is just a game. What matters is how Nix grows and learns through this game.

Verdict: Don’t jump to conclusions yet.

The Broncos defense got off to a good start, pressuring Geno Smith early and forcing an early interception after DJ Jones hit him on the throw. The Broncos also scored two safeties, one after a pressure led to a holding call in the end zone and another after defensive end Zach Allen tackled Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III in the end zone.

However, the Broncos’ offense was unable to convert the interception into a touchdown, nor was the offense able to score six points after a botched Seahawks punt that the Broncos recovered, making the game even closer at halftime.

And in the second half, the Seahawks made adjustments on offense and moved the ball more often. The Seahawks took advantage of the Broncos’ defensive mistakes and made two big plays that resulted in touchdowns.

It’s easy to blame the defense here, but while the Broncos have had their issues, we knew going in that this defense couldn’t carry the team. The Broncos defense has the potential to be good, but it won’t be an elite unit.

The Broncos defense will face some better offenses later in the season, but that doesn’t mean all is lost. The talent is there for a defense that can keep the Broncos in the game. It will help to get the offenses to take advantage of an opportunity the defense squanders.

Verdict: Don’t jump to conclusions yet.

For years, it seemed like the Broncos couldn’t get their special teams together, but there were a lot of good things to see about the unit in Week 1’s game.

The Broncos recovered a botched punt and sank a punt inches from the goal line. The Seahawks were unable to make much of a return on most plays.

Marvin Mims Jr. didn’t get much done in the return game, but he made good decisions about when to return the kickoff under the new rules. Perhaps the Pro Bowler can break up a longer return at some point.

While special teams isn’t necessarily the game-winning unit, field position is important and the third period plays a big role. I’m optimistic we’ll see quality special teams play again this season, especially given the tremendous strides the Broncos made in that area last year.

Verdict: There is reason for optimism.

The Broncos started Week 1 with no one on the injury reportBut during the game, Bolles was out due to an ankle injury.

The Broncos were fortunate last year that there weren’t too many injuries on the offensive line and that continuity was maintained throughout the season. Unfortunately, it only took one game for Denver to appear to have lost a key player.

Matt Peart stepped in to replace Bolles and was OK, but he isn’t as good as the starter. Losing a key starter on offense is definitely a concern, especially if Bolles misses a lot of time.

First of all, let’s hope that Bolles’ injury is not too serious. He has played with minor injuries before, but if this one is more serious and costs him a lot of games, he will be difficult to replace.

Verdict: There is cause for concern.

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