Bo Nix has built a reputation in Denver for handling pressure, and a fresh stat only sharpens that picture. Two seasons into his NFL career, the Broncos quarterback has shown he can flip bad situations into productive ones, especially when the down-and-distance gets ugly.
The clearest example comes on third-and-long. NFL Researcher on X posted rankings showing Nix tied for second in the league with 27 first-down or touchdown conversions in third-and-long situations last year.
Third-and-long was defined as seven or more yards to convert. Nix’s total matched Jordan Love and Jared Goff, while Drake Maye led the group with 29.
That kind of production is exactly why Nix has been so valuable, but it also points to a bigger issue for Denver: too many drives are getting behind schedule. If the Broncos want fewer desperate third-down snaps, they need cleaner work on first and second down.
That’s where the run game comes in. Denver addressed that area this offseason by re-signing J.K.
Dobbins and drafting Jonah Coleman. Dobbins was efficient when healthy last year, but a foot injury in Week 10 knocked him out.
After that, RJ Harvey took over, and the ground game dropped off in a down-to-down sense.
That isn’t a knock on Harvey. He was a rookie, and the Broncos didn’t bring him in expecting him to carry the offense as RB1. Like most first-year players, he eventually ran into the rookie wall, usually in December.
The Broncos are banking on Dobbins staying healthy this season. If that doesn’t happen, Coleman gives them real insurance. He’s described as a dependable runner between the tackles.
Nix’s third-and-long workload also reflects on Sean Payton, who handled the play-calling last season. But Payton gave those duties to new offensive coordinator Davis Webb after the year, and that change will be worth watching. The system will still come from Payton’s playbook, but Webb should have room to be creative inside it.
Denver also added more help for Nix on the perimeter. Jaylen Waddle is a major upgrade for the receiving group, and he could make the screen game far more dangerous. The Broncos have been frustratingly average on screens over the last two years, but Waddle’s burst gives them a receiver who can turn a slant or screen into a touchdown in a hurry.
Even with all that production, Nix still hasn’t piled up the usual hardware. He has no Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors yet, though he could have gone to the Pro Bowl as a rookie alternate before turning it down for an offseason procedure.
The national attention hasn’t matched the numbers, but his peers have noticed. Nix made NFL Network’s top 100 list after his rookie season and climbed five spots to No. 59 heading into year three.
The broader résumé is already strong. Since entering the league, Nix has the most fourth-quarter comebacks of any quarterback, has been sacked the second-fewest times over that span, and became the first player in NFL history to throw for 7,500-plus yards, 50-plus touchdowns and win 20-plus games across his first two seasons.
He’s still early in the ride, and the Broncos have plenty left to sort out around him. But the latest numbers reinforce the same point: when the situation gets tight, Nix keeps finding a way.
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