Bo Nix lands first NFL win as Broncos cruise past Buccaneers 26-7: Key takeaways
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix looked more poised in his third career start, and the Denver Broncos responded accordingly.
Nix rushed for a touchdown and threw for 216 yards to help the Broncos knock off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-7 at Raymond James Stadium. The 2024 first-round passer earned his first career win as a starting quarterback for the Broncos (1-2). Nix ended up completing 25 of his 36 passes resulting in an 85.0 passer rating.
Meanwhile, the Broncos' defense slowed down Bucs (2-1) quarterback Baker Mayfield after being one of the best throwers in the first two weeks of the season. Mayfield picked up 163 yards with one TD and one interception.
Nix's best game as a pro had a bit of everything
With Courtland Sutton in one-on-one coverage on the outside during the first play of Sunday's game, Nix threw to the veteran wide receiver's back shoulder for a 22-yard gain. Two plays later, Nix found Josh Reynolds on the other side of the field for a 31-yard gain.
Just like that, a rhythm that eluded the rookie quarterback and Denver's offense during the first two weeks of the season had been established. Nix completed all four of his passes on the opening drive for 70 yards, a series he finished off with a 3-yard touchdown run.
It wasn't perfectly seamless the rest of the day, but that opening series seemed to inject a measure of confidence in Nix that was apparent throughout the game. He navigated the pocket well, climbing up to make key throws in the second half. Nix also finished with a career-high 45 yards rushing, 22 of which came on a nifty escape and scramble in the fourth quarter that helped spark a scoring drive.
Perhaps most importantly, Nix didn't turn the ball over for the first time and wasn't sacked. It all amounted to an encouraging day of progress for Denver's rookie quarterback. — Nick Kosmider, Broncos beat writer
Vance Joseph calls a masterpiece
The Buccaneers finally had their offense rolling. Mayfield hit Chris Godwin for a first down. Bucky Irving ran wild into Denver's secondary. Tampa trailed, 20-7, midway through the third quarter, but they had momentum. Then, on a second-and-10 play, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph sent defensive back Ja'Quan McMillian on a blitz up the 'B' gap. Mayfield could not evade the extra rusher and defensive end Dondrea Tillman polished the quarterback off for a tide-turning sack.
Joseph mixed calls up like that all day, mixing coverages and pressures that often left Mayfield, who entered the day with the league's best passer rating, flummoxed by what he was seeing.
Take away a third-quarter flop in Seattle in Week 1, and Denver's defense has looked the part of a top-10 unit through three weeks. And playing with a lead Sunday from the start, Joseph was able to get creative. The Broncos sacked Mayfield six times and intercepted him in the first quarter en route to a 14-0 lead. Brandon Jones , who intercepted Mayfield, also recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter that ended Tampa's last-ditch comeback bid. — Kosmider
Mayfield unable to deal with the pressure
Despite an impressive win in Detroit last week, the Buccaneers left with concerns about their pass protection. Mayfield was sacked five times, constantly harassed by Aidan Hutchinson .
Things didn't get much better against the Broncos. Mayfield faced interior pressure from the start of the game that moved him out of the pocket. Mayfield was under duress when he threw an interception to safety Brandon Jones that was returned inside the 10-yard line.
A silver lining for the Buccaneers was the play of Irving, who had 70 yards rushing on just nine carries. Tampa Bay must run the ball more effectively to keep teams from teeing off on Mayfield. The rate of pressure and the number of hits he has taken in the early stages of this season won't be sustainable. — Kosmider
(Photo: Mike Carlson / )
