The Broncos are heading into their Week 10 bye with Bo Nix welcoming the pause. For the rookie quarterback, it’s a chance to step out of the weekly grind and let the team catch its breath.
“I love the bye week,” Nix said, via BroncosWire. “The bye week is awesome.
You get stuck in Groundhog Day over time doing the same thing over and over every week. I can tell you exactly what I’m doing every day of the week, so this will be a good break, good rest for us.
We all feel really good about it, feel like we need it, our coaches.”
Nix said the time away matters not just for recovery, but for taking stock of where the Broncos are right now.
“We’ll get some rest,” Nix said. “Players will get some rest and then we’ll start right back up next week with our next opponent. It’s just going to be a good time to relax and also debrief and look back at a few things and just have a great breakdown and sort of digest where we’ve been and what we’re doing and where we want to go.”
In Las Vegas, the Raiders are moving forward with rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and owner Mark Davis made it clear he believes the timing is right. He also pointed to Kirk Cousins for easing the transition.
“ I’m just letting the process play out, ” Davis said, via the team’s website. “ When we drafted Fernando No. 1, we wanted to take the pressure off him being the Day 1 starter.
And Kirk had been spectacular. He was a true Raider.
Once a Raider, always a Raider. “It’s Fernando’s time to start the season.
We’re ready to rock and roll and keep the season going.”
Tight end Brock Bowers echoed that confidence, saying Mendoza has already shown enough in practice to suggest he’s ready for live action.
“ Everything he does in practice shows me,” Bowers said. “ He throws a great ball.
He’s been making quick decisions, good decisions. So I’m excited to see him get to work live action, and him using his legs.
I’m excited to see that. I’m just excited for him.
”
In Tennessee, the Titans are giving younger players a bigger stage after sending veteran safety Amani Hooker to the Bills before the trade deadline. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said the move opens the door for players who have been waiting for more snaps.
“Now we’ve got some younger guys that have got great opportunities,” Bradley said, via AtoZ Sports Nashville. “Guys who have been talking all year about going, ‘I want to get more reps; how can I get on the field more?’
Well, they’re going to get their opportunities now, so there’s always a story. So it’ll be exciting to see which one does.”
In Other News...
Jeffery Simmons Opens Up About Titans Move That Still Stings
Jeffery Simmons is already making an impact in Chicago, but the move that sent him there still carries plenty of weight. The former Titans defensive tackle said on The Rich Eisen Show that he was surprised when Tennessee dealt him on Oct. 29, a blockbuster swap that brought the Bears two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder in return.
Simmons has wasted little time producing for his new team, recording sacks in each of his first two games and sitting atop all interior defensive linemen in sacks through Week 9. Even with the early success, his comments made clear the trade was not just another transaction, and for Titans fans it is a reminder of how sharply one of the franchises most important defenders was moved out of the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Passing Game Faces A Bigger Concern Around Cam Ward
Tennessees passing game is already trying to find its footing around rookie quarterback Cam Ward, and now it will have to do it again without Carnell Tate. The rookie receiver will miss his second straight game because of a lingering shoulder injury, leaving the Titans short on one of the more important targets in the offense as they prepare for Jacksonville.
For a team still sorting out its receiver depth, Tates absence adds another layer of pressure on a unit that needs more reliable playmakers to help Ward settle in. The bigger picture may extend beyond this week, too, with the Titans continuing to evaluate how they build out the wideout room and whether future draft help becomes part of the answer. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Catch A Break Before Jacksonvilles New-Look Defense Fully Arrives
The Titans got a small opening before Jacksonvilles revamped defense is fully in place, with Jaguars coach Liam Coen saying safety Jessie Bates and defensive tackle Jordan Davis will not be available for the upcoming matchup because they did not have a bye week with their previous teams. It is a notable development for Tennessee, which has to navigate a divisional game against a defense that is still in the middle of integrating major pieces.
Davon Godchaux, who did have a bye week, is expected to play, so the Jaguars will not be completely shorthanded up front. Still, the absence of Bates and Davis delays the full debut of two of Jacksonvilles bigger defensive additions until the following week against the Giants, giving the Titans a brief window before the new-look unit is at full strength. [Read more 🡒]