It’s been a rollercoaster season for Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
After impressing in the preseason, Nix struggled to start his NFL career. He threw four interceptions over his first two games, leading some to question whether Denver made the right decision when they drafted him 12th overall. Since then, he has flipped a switch and entered the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award conversations, pushing the Broncos back into playoff contention.
In his NFL debut, Nix struggled to replicate his preseason performance, throwing for just 138 passing yards and coughing up two interceptions in a 20-26 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He then faced one of the best defenses in the NFL in his second game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have held their opponents to under 17 points a game this season. The Broncos only scored six points as Nix threw two more interceptions, and he had no passing touchdowns as the Broncos lost for the second straight week to start the season 0-2.
There were signs of improvement in a Week 3 demolition of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as Nix threw for 216 passing yards and no interceptions in the 26-7 win. It kicked off a three-game win streak for Denver and Nix, and he hasn’t looked back since. The Broncos have compiled a 7-3 record since opening the season with back-to-back losses, and they currently sit in the final playoff spot in the AFC as the third wild-card team.
Without Nix’s rapid development, it’s hard to imagine that Denver would still be a playoff team. After he threw for 273 passing yards and two touchdowns without an interception against the Las Vegas Raiders in the team’s latest win, Nix became just the fifth quarterback in the last ten years to have at least 20 touchdowns over a ten-game span while turning the ball over less than two times.
The only other quarterbacks who have done that? Some future Hall-of-Famers: Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and Patrick Mahomes. It’s a bit early to place those expectations on Nix, but it’s a testament to how much his game has improved in head coach Sean Payton‘s system since the beginning of the season.
During his NFL debut, Nix struggled to move the ball downfield, averaging 5.3 yards per pass completion, but it hasn’t been a problem for him over the last ten games. In seven of those games, Nix has averaged more than 10 yards per pass completion, with his best performance coming in a 38-6 romp of the Atlanta Falcons where he threw for 307 passing yards and four touchdowns.
In other words, Denver finally has its Peyton Manning replacement after years of searching. It hasn’t been easy, as Nix is the team’s 14th starting quarterback since Manning retired in 2015. Still, the early results have already been worth the wait. In addition to the team’s playoff chances, Nix is already one of two quarterbacks in that group of 14 who have started at least five games and have a winning record.
It’s not just Broncos fans who have noticed how well Nix is playing— he was named Rookie of the Month in October and is currently second on the oddsboard in the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award race. While Denver would love for Nix to win the award, they’ll be happier that the team’s gamble during the draft has paid off and it is poised for its first playoff berth since 2015 behind its new franchise quarterback.
Leave a comment