Bo Nix’s first interception wasn’t pretty.

The rookie tried to make a play in the end zone, but wide receiver Courtland Sutton was surrounded by multiple defenders. Seattle safety Julian Love took advantage, securing the pick at the 1-yard line with 11:34 to go in the second quarter on Sunday.

While Nix’s throw was ill-advised, the protection wasn’t great, either. Right guard Quinn Meinerz fell to his knees after defensive tackle Leonard Williams slipped by him to create pressure on Nix as he prepared to throw the ball.

“We’ve got to give him a cleaner picture with some more time so he can start settling in quicker and feel safe in the pocket,” Meinerz said.

After Denver’s 26-20 loss to the Seahawks, Payton said the entire team has to be better around Nix, including the offensive line — a group that has been the team’s biggest investment over the past two seasons.

Even though Nix was only sacked twice, the Seahawks were tied for the second-most pressures (18) in the league in Week 1, according to Next Gen Stats. Seattle’s pressure rate (36.7%) tied the Minnesota Vikings for 10th.

Seattle’s defense is tough. But the defensive fronts Denver’s set to face in the coming weeks will provide a greater challenge, starting on Sunday with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“(The Steelers) do a lot of things extremely well, and that’s not by accident,” Payton said. “I think we’ll be seeing a better defense this weekend, and that’s with no disrespect at all to Seattle.”

Seattle’s defense, led by first-year head coach Mike Macdonald, rallied to the football, making it difficult for the Broncos to create explosive plays. The chaos created by the Seahawks pass rush added another degree of difficulty. Denver’s starting offensive line allowed multiple pressures, with right tackle Mike McGlinchey giving up a game-high five, according to Next Gen Stats.

Still, Payton thought the Broncos were OK in pass blocking compared to the unit’s effort in the run game. OK will not be good enough against the Steelers.

Pittsburgh is fresh off an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons, in which the Steelers relied heavily on their defense. The Steelers forced three turnovers, held Atlanta to 89 rushing yards and pressured Kirk Cousins 11 times. The veteran quarterback struggled, throwing for just 155 passing yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Last season, the Steelers were quick at applying pressure on QBs. Pittsburgh’s time to pressure (2.52 seconds) and quick pressure rate (20.2%) ranked fourth in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats.