Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley

On what he remembers of Broncos QB Bo Nix from the 2024 joint practice:

That practice felt like a long time ago, but I remember walking out of the practice and just being really impressed with a young quarterback. Had really good command for a young player in and out of the huddle, good presence about him, good leadership. It wasn’t big for him. He’s got a strong arm. He can make the throws. He’s good in the pocket. He can get out of the pocket. What he’s shown this year in some big key moments is using his legs. He’s made some huge plays at the end of the game. I picture the one against Houston at the end of the game where he went for the big run to lead ’em to the win. Just a really good young quarterback who’s got a really bright future, They’ve built a really good offense around him.

On S Evan Williams leaving his man and CB Keisean Nixon covering and making the INT:

We made a call for the run but also thinking send pressure to the side we thought we were going to get the roll pass. Evan just decided to go rogue and it led to an interception, so he shouldn’t do that again, but I’m very glad that he did on that play. Usually, when you’re in man (coverage), if you decide not to cover your man and to cover someone else, bad things happen. Like, really, really bad things. We had another play in that game where we didn’t cover our man and they hit a deep cross, and that was one of the explosive plays of the game. Yeah, usually that does not end very well. So in my opinion, on that play, we should have (had it) covered, and it would have been interesting to see what happened. It was just one of those things which Kei saw that he wasn’t (covered) so we took off, and he saw the quarterback and he made the play. So, yeah, stuff like that doesn’t happen very often. It’s usually not very good.

On the run defense vs. Bears with interior guys playing more snaps than normal:

I think we faced over 30 rushes and didn’t give up a run over nine (yards). So credit to them on that. In the first half, I thought it was outstanding — pad level, striking, getting off blocks, staying in the gaps, squeezing on the backside, setting an edge on the front side. I thought, as the game went on, we wore down just a little bit, and I’m not blaming that on the interior guys, but overall, I thought those guys did a really nice job. I do. Especially for some of the limited snaps a lot of those guys have played, and we’ve got to continue to take steps and get better. But I think it was a good starting point against a really good interior group, two good backs and a good scheme.

On DL Rashan Gary‘s play:

I say this truthfully, Rashan is playing the run game — and I know you don’t want to hear about the run right now — [but] Rashan is playing the run game way better than he did last year, in my opinion. We’re not getting many drop-back passes. We’re getting seven-man, six-man play-action protections, where it’s about rushing and converting, and a lot of times you got a tight end and a tackle on you, you’ve got a tackle and a back on you. So at the same time, he’s not getting as many opportunities. And then, even on these third downs, we’re getting more runs and screens on third down than I’ve ever and I’ve ever been a part of. So, do we want him that to have more pressures? Certainly. I’m giving you a reason. And yes, I am defending him, because I actually think the guy’s playing really well. I think people look at things very black and white, where you have to look deeper into it, and just because a guy might not have pressures in a game or sacks in a game, that doesn’t mean he didn’t play well.