Bo Nix keeps finding the answer when the Broncos need it most.
The Denver quarterback shook off a quiet first half and sparked two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, pushing Denver past the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2. It was another one of those games where the Broncos made life harder than it needed to be, then steadied themselves just in time to finish the job.
That pattern has started to feel familiar. Nix didn’t come out firing, but when the pressure climbed, he delivered. Denver’s defense held up in the second half, the offense finally strung together some real drives, and the Broncos did what they had to do to close it out.
Nix ended the day with 288 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. His second half told the better story: 11-of-15 passing for 132 yards and a 122.1 passer rating. Trevor Lawrence, by contrast, finished with a 19.8 passer rating.
The frustrating part for Denver is obvious. This offense keeps taking its time to get rolling.
The encouraging part is that, so far, it keeps coming alive when the game is on the line. That’s not the cleanest way to win, and it won’t always be enough, but it has been enough to this point.
There’s still work to do, especially with tougher matchups ahead against the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. Those are the kinds of games where slow starts can get punished fast, particularly on the road.
But in this one, Nix did what he’s been doing. He leaned on his legs more, pushed the ball downfield more often in the second half, and helped turn a shaky afternoon into a win. For a quarterback still early in his NFL career, it’s another reminder that when the doubters start talking, he has a habit of answering.
In Other News...
NFL Punished A Chiefs Starter For What Happened Late Vs Broncos
A late-game penalty against the Chiefs against the Broncos carried a little extra bite this week, with Kansas City guard Trey Smith fined $6,750 for a chop block in the fourth quarter of that matchup. The league announced the discipline the day before the Chiefs were set to face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football, another reminder that even routine-looking infractions can draw attention once the NFL reviews them.
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Broncos Run Game Just Lost A Piece Sean Payton Needed
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Broncos Land In Another Chiefs Flashpoint After Mahomes Hit
A brief NFL review of Nik Bonittos hit on Patrick Mahomes has landed Denver back in one of the leagues most closely watched rivalries, but not with the kind of punishment the Chiefs might have hoped for. The Broncos edge rusher got to Mahomes after a short throw in Kansas City, with the contact appearing to come around the quarterbacks head and neck, yet the league ruled it legal and did not issue a roughing-the-passer penalty or fine.
The game itself still produced its share of discipline, with Chiefs guard Trey Smith and Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton each fined for separate infractions. For Denver, though, the Bonitto ruling keeps alive another familiar Chiefs flashpoint, the kind of moment that tends to linger long after a matchup the Chiefs ultimately won. [Read more 🡒]