Bo Nix and the Broncos Are Clicking - And It Shows
The Broncos may have found something special in Bo Nix, and it’s not just the 302 yards and four touchdowns he threw for in their Week 15 win over the Packers. It’s the rhythm, the trust, and the chemistry between Nix and head coach Sean Payton that’s starting to turn heads.
Nix, calm and composed beyond his years, credits the growing connection with Payton as a major factor in his recent success.
“We’re just working really well off each other,” Nix said after the game. “He trusts me, and I can tell by the way he’s calling it. My job is to turn around and protect him and keep his call safe.”
That’s a quarterback who understands the assignment - not just executing plays, but honoring the intent behind them. Nix talked about how the quarterback room focuses on deciphering the “why” behind each call, not just the “what.” That level of detail and communication is rare for a rookie, and it’s paying off on the field.
Lil’Jordan Humphrey, one of the beneficiaries of Nix’s breakout performance, didn’t hold back in his praise.
“He’s a great player,” Humphrey said. “He knows how to make plays with his feet.
He can sling it. You just see it come to fruition.
Everybody is saying it now. That’s what we’ve been saying for a year.”
And then there’s Payton, a coach who spent 15 years working with Drew Brees - a quarterback with a vastly different personality than Nix. Adjusting to a new signal-caller with a different energy and style isn’t always easy, but Payton’s embracing the challenge.
“It’s adapting and learning,” Payton said. “Remember, for 15 years I had one personality [in Brees], and they couldn’t be more different just from a personality standpoint.
… It’s learning [Nix] and [adjusting to] him smiling even when we’re down. I mean, there’s just a competitive nature about him that’s refreshing.”
That’s not coach-speak. That’s a veteran coach recognizing a young quarterback’s presence - not just in the huddle, but in the locker room. If Nix keeps trending upward, Denver’s long-term quarterback question might finally have an answer.
Odafe Oweh Is Thriving in L.A. - And the Chargers' Defense Is Reaping the Benefits
Since arriving from Baltimore, Odafe Oweh has been a problem - for opposing quarterbacks, that is. With seven sacks in nine games, Oweh is making the most of his fresh start with the Chargers, and he credits the system - and the trust - from defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
“This team has afforded me the opportunity to just be free, be me,” Oweh said. “They trust me. They believe in me.”
That belief is translating into production. Minter’s defensive scheme leans on the ability to generate pressure with four, and with edge rushers like Oweh and Khalil Mack leading the charge, it’s working.
“What wins in this league on passing downs is the ability to affect the quarterback,” Minter explained. “Some teams do it by designing super well-designed blitzes and all that stuff.
I think there’s times where you got to do that. But if you can get the pressure you want with four and cover the guys that are out there, that’s harder to go against.”
And when the edge guys are doing their job, the interior guys get to feast. Just ask Tuli Tuipulotu.
“We have two great edge rushers, and sometimes the quarterback just falls in your lap,” Tuipulotu said with a grin.
That’s the kind of defensive synergy coaches dream about - pressure off the edge forcing quarterbacks into the waiting arms of interior linemen. It’s a formula that’s working, and if the Chargers can stay healthy, this defense could be a real problem down the stretch.
On the injury front, head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed that safety R.J. Mickens could miss some time with a shoulder injury and didn’t practice Wednesday. Safety Elijah Molden (hamstring) and offensive tackle Trey Pipkins (ankle) were both limited.
Chiefs Staying Steady Amid Mahomes’ Absence
With Patrick Mahomes sidelined due to a knee injury, the Chiefs are in unfamiliar territory - but there’s no panic in Kansas City. Gardner Minshew has stepped in at quarterback, and while the situation isn’t ideal, the message from the locker room is clear: it’s time to regroup and keep pushing.
“Quick turnaround from a very emotional game, and obviously the situation with Pat, the situation with our team’s playoff picture,” Minshew said. “But you know what?
You are where you’re at. We have to turn this around and get a win this weekend.”
Behind the scenes, Mahomes is already attacking his rehab with the same intensity he brings to the field. Chiefs VP of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder said the timeline for recovery could be around nine months, but Mahomes’ mindset - and his unique athleticism - could accelerate that.
“Every player is different. Every sport is different.
Every position is different,” Burkholder said. “[Mahomes] is so in tune to what he does, he does it a little quicker.
Ballpark on this is nine months, but it could be a month or two more, a month or two less.”
Head coach Andy Reid has been in constant contact with Mahomes and said the quarterback’s attitude hasn’t wavered since the moment he went down.
“He’s so positive right now,” Reid said. “Like Rick said, he attacked this thing the day of.
You wouldn’t expect anything less. ‘Get me up, get me going,’ he’s basically saying, an hour after the game.
‘Brace me up and let me go.’ It’s not one of those injuries, obviously, but that’s his mindset.”
And that mindset - relentless, optimistic, driven - is exactly what’s made Mahomes who he is. Reid summed it up best: “His attitude is 90% of things.
How you go about it. How you’re willing to push through the pain to get right.”
The Chiefs will have to navigate the rest of the season without their franchise quarterback, but with Mahomes already locked in on the rehab process and Minshew ready to lead, Kansas City isn’t folding - they’re recalibrating.