Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix Shows Why He Could Be Team’s First Franchise QB Since Peyton Manning In Big Win
It may have taken three games, but Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix showed everyone why he could soon emerge as the team's first true franchise quarterback in a decade in the Broncos' surprising 26-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Despite playing on the road in the sweltering heat as underdogs against a playoff team with an undefeated record — Denver entered as six-point underdogs — the Broncos outplayed the Buccaneers from start to finish, never trailing at all in the game.
The 24-year-old quarterback showed off his passing and running abilities in the victory and turned in his first career game without a turnover. While Nix is still looking for his first career passing touchdown, he finished the day with a solid stat line of 216 passing yards with a 69.4% completion rate and an 85.0 passer rating. That's not even mentioning the 47 rushing yards with a rushing touchdown, punctuated by a 22-yard run towards the end of the game to seal the win for the Broncos.
"We were moving the ball, keeping the chains moving, we had some thirds downs and we were efficient with them and we got first downs," said Nix when asked after the game why he was in "control" compared to his first two games. "That's the difference in these games is if you can convert on third down and you stay on the field for longer. You eventually score some points."
Needless to say, the first two games of Nix's career was sluggish. While the Broncos racked up 352 yards and 5.5 yards per play in their win over the Buccaneers, they mustered just 231 yards on 3.3 yards per play with a 1-for-4 conversion rate in the red zone against the Seattle Seahawks and 295 total yards with a 0-for-3 conversion rate in the red zone against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That's not including the the two costly interceptions that Nix threw in the red zone in each of those losses. There were no such costly turnovers in the win over the Buccaneers.
The Broncos marching out to an early 7-0 lead on the first drive, combined with Nix's efficient play and Denver's strong rushing attack — they ran for 136 yards, led by practice squad call-up Tyler Badie's 70 rushing yards — led to a balanced offensive attack for the first time all season.
"We put together a great game plan this week," says Nix. "We were very balanced, we came out early and threw the ball. Later in the game, we have to run the ball and everybody in the stadium knows we have to run and we were able to go and get first downs that way. It was a complete offensive game, we ran the ball well, and got us in manageable third downs.
We were efficient when we threw the ball. Our guys made plays, they did a great job with yards after the catch. I think moving forward, we want to stay balanced and be able to attack."
Again, it's only one game and it remains to be seen if Nix and the Broncos can string together two consecutive quality games when they travel up north to face the Aaron Rodgers-led New York Jets. But considering all of the turmoil this franchise has faced since the retirement of Peyton Manning and their Super Bowl win at the conclusion of the 2015 season, this is a step in the right direction for a once-proud franchise desperately looking for a savior at quarterback.
It also didn't hurt that the Broncos' offensive line had easily their best showing of the season, not allowing a single sack and barely allowing the Buccaneers front seven to sniff Nix. To top it all off, Denver had seven team sacks in the win.
"I think we made Mayfield hold the ball," said head coach Sean Payton after the win. "I think we made him hold it some. That is a credit to coverage. We weren't going to — we had protection, we had a really good plan relative to getting in and out of some audibles. Bo (Nix) handled it really well. We were going to have answers if (pressure) came."
While Nix clearly had the best game of his young career, Payton isn't buying into the narrative that his young quarterback's confidence level was different this week in comparison to the prior two weeks.
"No, stop, stop," Payton told a reporter after the game when asked about Nix's confidence level being different. "It's fitting your narrative. The kid's been confident. This kid's been through Auburn. He's transferred. He's won, and won, and won, and won. Honestly, I haven't seen him flinch. I think we had a good plan. The players did a good job and certainly (Nix) had more fun than he did in prior weeks."
The Broncos have cycled through multiple starting quarterbacks over the past nine years, going through a number of veteran quarterbacks who have failed — Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco, Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater — along with a second-round bust in Drew Lock.
This may be only one win, but Nix provided a glimpse of what the Broncos hope to see from their franchise quarterback over the next decade.
