There’s a huge Denver Broncos offensive issue that hasn’t been discussed enough.

The Broncos are second in the NFL in batted balls at the line of scrimmage.

If Denver has the best offensive line in the league, why is it happening?

Denver Broncos offensive issue: 2nd in NFL in batted balls

Bo Nix’s passes are getting knocked down at the line of scrimmage way too often.

That’s a huge issue for the Broncos offense that hasn’t been mentioned basically anywhere until it was said on air during Sunday Night Football.

Unironically, we saw multiple balls batted down at the line of scrimmage on Sunday night.

According to the box score, the Rams knocked only two passes down at the LOS; one from Kobie Turner and one from Poona Ford.

But for a defense, those plays are even better than a pass breakup by a defensive back. Why? The pass doesn’t even get past the line, meaning Denver’s receiver has zero chance of catching the ball. Plus, those batted balls sometimes turn into interceptions when the football pops up in the air.

Currently, Bo Nix has 4 batted balls through three games. He was passed this week by Jared Goff, who now has 5.

Last year, Nix was 9th in the category with 13 batted balls all season long. He’s currently on pace for 23 this year, which would’ve been the most last season by three.

What’s the reason?

Bo Nix isn’t a short quarterback. He’s not minuscule Kyle Murray or height-deficient Bryce Young.

Nix is 6’2″ tall. That’s plenty tall enough to get the ball out and over the opposing defensive linemen.

So, what’s the reason for all the batted balls?

One plausible explanation is the Broncos offensive line is simply too good at blocking opposing defensive linemen and linebackers.

Over the course of the game, linemen are getting frustrated by not getting anywhere near Nix, so they start jumping once they are stymied at the line. They put their hands in the air like they don’t care and knock the football down.

A batted ball is almost as good as a sack, without the loss of yardage, and it’s just as good as stopping a running back at the LOS.

Simply, it’s a win for the defense when they can break up a pass at the line. It disrupts the offense’s flow and the result is the offense being off-schedule.

They need to get four-plus yards on first and second down to move into 3rd-and-manageable. But batted balls are one of the reasons the Broncos are in 3rd and longs too often.

Another reason is the terrible rushing attack for the Broncos. Denver’s 3.6 yards per carry are tied for 5th-worst in the NFL. Early downs tend to tilt toward the running game, while later downs are more likely passing downs depending on the distance. When the Broncos can’t run for 4-plus yards on first down, they’re already off-schedule.

To wit, Jeremy Crawshaw has punted 14 times this year. That’s tied for second-most. Only the Tennessee Titans have been forced to punt the ball away more often through the first three weeks.

Ultimately, Bo Nix needs to work around defenders when possible. Drop his arm angle, or Davis Webb needs to get him on more rollouts to avoid these batted balls.

For now, the Broncos are 2-1 after their brilliant comeback over the LA Rams on Sunday Night Football.

This week they face the undefeated 49ers in San Francisco at 2:25 p.m. MT. The Niners are giving up a 3rd-best 16.7 points per game so far this season. It’ll be an uphill battle for Denver when on offense.