Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix had a forgettable start to his NFL career with the Denver Broncos. The rookie playmaker earned the starting spot in the offseason, but it seems his five years of combined college football experience at Auburn and Oregon have not paid off so far.

During an appearance on Steve Smith Sr.’s podcast, former NFL Network reporter James Palmer said he recently spoke with several unnamed Pittsburgh Steelers cornerbacks who admitted they knew Denver’s offense would be limited in the first quarter of their Week 2 game against the Broncos without Nix.

Pittsburgh won the game 13-6.

“I was just in the Steelers locker room, going up against a rookie named Bo Nix, who was in his second NFL stint. I was talking to the Steelers cornerbacks, and they were sitting in the corner laughing and saying, ‘We knew the playbook was this big,'” Palmer said, making a “little” hand sign with his index finger and thumb. “‘We knew they weren’t going to take shots, and we know what he likes to do. They’re going to make it easy for him to go here and there, and that’s all we had to worry about.'”

Nix finished the contest completing 20 of 35 passes for 246 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. He was also sacked twice and had 25 yards on the ground.

Despite the former Duck’s slow start, Palmer admitted that Nix’s initial difficulties were not entirely his fault.

“You have to start working – and I don’t just mean (Broncos coach) Sean Payton – but coaches have to work with what the player knows to prepare them for success. But you should also teach them all the other things, and that’s why it’s a process,” Palmer said.

In his first two games in the league, Nix has completed 46 of 77 passes for 384 yards and no touchdowns while throwing four interceptions with a quarterback rating of 35.7. He has made some plays with his legs, including a rushing touchdown in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.

“He’s been through the firestorm, so to speak,” Payton told the media recently. “You’re better prepared and you’re better off when it comes back. That’s not the case at all, we’re not in that position right now. Obviously we would have liked to have started better, but what I’m saying is he’s someone who I think has inherent confidence in his preparation and his ability and doesn’t get discouraged easily.”

Nix and the Broncos will try to put things right on Sunday in their away game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.