The Broncos led at halftime in Seattle on Sunday, but they surrendered 17 straight points in the second half to finish with a 26-20 score.

Rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw an ill-advised interception in a tangle of Seahawks defenders in the second half, but he also ran for a late touchdown to give the Broncos a chance to mount a comeback and said after the game that he “don’t think we were far” from a win away from home.

Nix finished 26 of 42 for 138 yards and threw for a touchdown while being sacked twice and running five times for 35 yards. Head coach Sean Payton said he thought the quarterback looked “really comfortable and ready” on a day that required a greater effort from everyone involved.

“I thought he felt like it,” Payton said via the team’s website. “I never felt like it was too big or confusing. He was sharp. I thought he extended some plays with his feet. And again, we’ll look at the tape, but we’ve got to do a better job with him.”

The Broncos lost several close games last season en route to an 8-9 finish. They’ll need Nix to go from staying competitive to games like Sunday to find the right side of .500 this time around.