Bo Nix’s numbers are trending in the right direction, and the timing lines up neatly with a cleaner pocket.
Over the past three weeks, the Broncos quarterback has climbed to fourth among NFL passers in EPA per dropback, according to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. Nix is averaging 0.22 EPA per dropback in that span, a clear step up from the rougher stretch that opened his season.
The biggest shift has come in how often defenders are getting home. Kosmider reported that Nix was hit an average of four times per game from Weeks 1 through 6. Over the last three games, that figure has fallen to two hits per game, and his pressure rate has dropped as well.
That matters because earlier in the year, Denver’s passing game was getting squeezed. Through three games, Nix was pressured on 43% of his dropbacks and ranked last among qualified quarterbacks in EPA per dropback when pressured.
The Broncos have now won three straight, beating Arizona, Kansas City and Carolina to move to 7-2 and head into the bye week sitting atop the AFC West. Nix has been a big part of that run, completing 60 of 98 passes for 681 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.
He’s also taken just three sacks in that stretch, one in each game.
The production has come in back-to-back strong outings. Against Kansas City on November 1, Nix went 20 of 32 for 222 yards and two touchdowns in Denver’s 28-24 win. He followed that up with 237 passing yards and two more touchdowns in Sunday’s 26-21 victory over Carolina.
Nix has also had to deal with passes being batted down at the line of scrimmage, and Sean Payton has said protection and technique issues played a role in those problems.
Now the task for Denver is simple enough to say and harder to do: keep the progress going after the bye, with the Las Vegas Raiders up next on November 22.
In Other News...
Broncos Deadline Push Reveals How Far They Wanted To Go
The Broncos were active right up to the trade deadline, and their pursuit of Tennessee running back Tony Pollard showed they were willing to keep pressing for help even after making one move already. Denver did land linebacker Daiyan Henley from the Chargers for future draft picks, but the interest in Pollard pointed to a front office still looking for ways to add more juice to the roster.
Pollard, in the final year of his contract, has remained productive despite Tennessees rough season, which helps explain why the Titans were not eager to let him go. For Denver, the failed push leaves a clearer picture of how aggressive it wanted to be, and how close it came to adding another proven piece before the deadline passed. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Just Made Jonah Coleman's Role Much More Important
The Broncos only move at the trade deadline was a deal with the Chargers for linebacker Daiyan Henley, a move that cost Denver two draft picks and addressed the defense rather than the backfield. For the offense, the more telling decision was what did not happen, since the team passed on adding a running back even as the position has become a little more fragile in recent weeks.
That puts a brighter spotlight on Jonah Coleman, who has been seeing more carries since coming back from injured reserve. J.K. Dobbins workload has trended down lately, and RJ Harvey is still on injured reserve until early December, so Denver is leaning into Colemans role at a time when the depth chart could have used another veteran option. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Just Got A Huge Break In Their Next Raiders Matchup
The Raiders quarterback picture changed dramatically at the 2026 NFL trade deadline, and it is the kind of development the Broncos will notice right away. Las Vegas moved on from Kirk Cousins, leaving the offense in the hands of rookie Fernando Mendoza, the first overall pick who was drafted to be the face of the franchise but now has to be thrown into the fire much sooner than planned.
For Denver, the timing matters. A matchup that already carried plenty of weight in the AFC West now comes with a very different level of uncertainty for the Raiders, and the Broncos will get a closer look at Mendoza in one of their upcoming games at Mile High. Whether that turns into an advantage depends on how quickly the rookie settles in, but it is hard to ignore how much the balance of the series just shifted. [Read more 🡒]