Quarterback Bo Nix’s second start was similar to his first for the Denver Broncos – a close loss that hinged on a few plays as Denver’s offense stumbled and the Broncos were barely able to score a third down.

But after Denver’s 13-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, Broncos coach Sean Payton believes the rookie still has what it takes to lead the team.

“I think he’s got the right nature and personality,” Payton said. “Look, he’s been running around, he’s been participating. There’s a certain amount of pressure. He’s lacking protection towards the end of the game. Those are frustrating things. I said this a week ago: We’ve got to handle him better. Look, this guy has been through this. It would be different if he hadn’t done that.”

Nix, a former Pinson Valley High School star, played three seasons for Auburn and two for Oregon before being traded to Denver as the 12th pick in the NFL Draft on April 25.

Nix said the 0-2 start had not shaken his confidence.

“I have a lot of confidence,” Nix said. “I think I’m going to continue to get better and look in the mirror and see what I can do and evaluate myself.”

“I think it’s important to look at it from a bigger perspective. Football is just a game where we go out here and have fun. We make a big deal out of it because sometimes it is. There are a lot of people out there who eagerly await the game and the atmosphere and the wins and losses. But I think it’s important to keep perspective and not make football your whole life because if you play long enough, it’s going to let you down over and over again. It’s going to knock you down, it’s going to wear you down. The value of sport is like life – sometimes you just have to keep taking setbacks and eventually you’ll figure it out and get back on your feet and keep going. My confidence is bigger than football. It’s bigger than wins and losses.

“Make no mistake: I will fight with all my strength and try to win every single game for this team behind me because they deserve it. But I feel like the more you play, the more confidence you grow.”

On Sunday, Nix completed 20 of 35 passes for 246 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions as Pittsburgh limited the Broncos to two field goals by Wil Lutz in the fourth quarter.

Denver converted two of its twelve third-down snaps into first downs.

“I thought they had a good plan and executed it well,” Nix said. “They just got to the ball and tackled, and again we had trouble getting to third-and-manageables. But we can’t keep making that excuse. I think we need to start playing better, and that starts with me and then goes to the rest of the team.”

For the second straight game, Nix led the Broncos in rushing yards, with 25 yards on four carries. Three Denver running backs gained 39 yards on 15 rushing attempts on Sunday.

After Lutz’s second field goal with 1:54 left, Denver opted not to attempt an onside kick and didn’t get the football back until nine seconds left. Nix completed a pass for a 15-yard gain, but his long throw from the Broncos’ 34-yard line was intercepted on the final snap.

The other interception probably hurt the Broncos’ chances of winning even more.

Nix completed two consecutive passes of 26 and 49 yards to bring Denver to Pittsburgh’s 7-yard line, but the scoring opportunity ended when rookie cornerback Corey Trice Jr. intercepted a Nix pass in the end zone with 6:10 left in the third quarter, giving the Steelers a 10-0 lead.

“That’s my responsibility,” said Nix. “It was simply a bad decision. I can’t allow that.”