Bo Nix’s season has become impossible to ignore, even if the full picture is a little messier than the criticism suggests.
The Denver Broncos quarterback has clearly been part of the problem at times, but he’s also been part of two of the team’s biggest wins. Against the Seattle Seahawks, he didn’t lose the game for Denver, while Sam Darnold did with two second-half interceptions. Nix also helped spark second-half comebacks against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams.
So no, the case that Nix has been flat-out bad this year doesn’t really hold up if you look at how the Broncos have won some of these games. But “good” still isn’t the word for his play, and that shows up in the latest AFC West quarterback rankings.
At the bottom of the list sits Justin Herbert, and the numbers are ugly: 1,141 yards, five touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 68.8 passer rating for the Los Angeles Chargers. Herbert has not carried the 0-6 Chargers, but he hasn’t escaped blame either.
The 68.8 mark is lower than some quarterbacks’ QBRs, and this has the look of the worst season of his career - maybe one of the worst full seasons of the 21st century. The verdict here is blunt: he’s been shockingly bad and looks like a broken player.
Nix comes in at No. 3 with 1,049 yards, six touchdowns, three interceptions and a 79.4 passer rating. He hasn’t played well, but the context matters.
Denver has dealt with a brutal schedule, tough defenses and several games where the job was simply to avoid the killer mistake. The encouraging signs are real, too.
The Broncos are 4-2 with a few important wins, and Nix has gone three games without throwing an interception. He’s not giving the ball away the way some others are, and with the schedule easing up, the bounce-back stretch the Broncos have been waiting for could be coming.
Ahead of him is Kirk Cousins, who has the Las Vegas Raiders at least looking functional despite three straight losses. Cousins has put up 1,582 yards, 14 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 98 passer rating, and he’s on pace for 40 touchdown passes.
The interceptions would also put him on pace for 14 this season. What stands out is that he’s playing at a level many around the league didn’t think he still had in him.
It also underscores how much the right system matters. The Raiders are a legitimate team, and they won’t be a group the Broncos can just steamroll.
Patrick Mahomes remains the standard in the AFC West and, for now, the league. He tops the rankings with 1,309 yards, nine touchdowns, three interceptions and a 103.1 passer rating for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The torn ACL is in the rearview, and he’s back doing what he does best. Kansas City also has a strong run game helping the cause, but Mahomes has been efficient in his own right despite not having a loaded group of pass catchers.
Through five games, he has nine touchdown passes, a sharp passer rating, and the added distinction of leading the NFL’s only unbeaten team. He’s also the steady force Denver keeps having to measure itself against.
In Other News...
Bo Nix Debate Isnt Going Away After Broncos Win Over Seattle
The Broncos 17-14 overtime win over Seattle on Thursday night did not exactly calm the conversation around Bo Nix. Denver got the result it wanted in Week 6, but the performance left plenty of room for scrutiny, especially with the game airing in prime time on Amazon and drawing a big national audience.
Those eyeballs only sharpened the focus on Nix, whose play drew criticism even in a victory that kept Denver moving forward. The debate around the rookie quarterback was already simmering, and a tight, uneven game against the Seahawks did little to make it go away. [Read more 🡒]
Former Broncos Defender Helped Stop A Frightening Titans Incident
Training-camp friction can flare quickly, but what happened at the Titans facility landed well beyond the usual practice scuffle. Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and offensive tackle JC Latham got into an argument, Elliott was told to leave the field, and the situation soon turned far more serious in a way that had everyone around the team on edge.
Former Broncos defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers stepped in before things spiraled further, helping calm Elliott and de-escalate a frightening scene. Elliott has since been released by the Titans, but the incident serves as a reminder of how quickly a routine camp dispute can turn into something much more alarming. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Could Make One Bold Move To Fix A Troubling Weakness
The Broncos offensive line has become one of the more obvious pressure points on a roster that has otherwise been trying to move in the right direction. Left guard has been a particular concern, and with the interior protection slipping from where it was a season ago, it is no surprise that attention has turned toward possible external fixes rather than waiting for the current group to settle in.
One name that fits the profile is Quenton Nelson, the highly accomplished Colts left guard whose situation has become more intriguing after Indianapolis changed leadership. A trade is far from certain, but the fit is easy to see for Denver because Nelson would instantly bring proven play to a spot that has been a weak link. Whether the Broncos can actually make a deal is another matter, but this is the kind of bold move that would signal they are serious about shoring up the middle of the line. [Read more 🡒]