Bo Nix followed a long pass on a trick play with an interception in the back of the end zone.
These are all part of the growing pains for the rookie quarterback of the Denver Broncos, who only managed two field-goal drives in a 13-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Nix threw two interceptions, was sacked twice, and had trouble on third downs, with the team converting just two out of 12. Despite the struggles, his confidence is still strong.
“You play (football) long enough, it’ll fail you over and over and over,” said Nix, the 12th overall pick in April. “It will knock you down. It will beat you up. The value of playing the sport is it’s just like life.
Sometimes you’ve just got to keep taking hits and keep taking hits, and then eventually you’ll figure it out and get back on your feet and move forward.”
Nix’s performance and the Broncos (0-2) played out while Russell Wilson watched from the other sideline — dressed in uniform but serving as the emergency quarterback due to a strained calf.
Wilson’s two-year stint in Denver ended with him on the bench. The Broncos released him in March, and he signed with Pittsburgh for the veteran’s minimum ($1.21 million).
With Wilson out, Justin Fields led the Steelers to a second consecutive win by being efficient and avoiding costly mistakes.
Nix is still looking for his first NFL touchdown pass after scoring a rushing touchdown last weekend at Seattle. He now has four interceptions in two games, including a late throw that was intercepted by Pittsburgh’s Damontae Kazee.
The NFL record for most interceptions by a rookie quarterback in a season is 28, set by Peyton Manning in 1998 with Indianapolis.
Broncos coach Sean Payton thinks Nix has the right qualities to handle the early challenges.
“Listen, this guy’s been through it,” Payton said about the 24-year-old Nix. “It would be different if he hadn’t.”
A key moment in the game occurred in the third quarter with Denver down 10-0. The Broncos ran a trick play where Javonte Williams took a direct snap, handed it off to Courtland Sutton, who then pitched it to Nix.
With the defense closing in, Nix threw a pass to Josh Reynolds for a 49-yard gain to the Pittsburgh 7-yard line.
However, two plays later, Nix tried to pass to Sutton in the end zone but ended up throwing it straight to Steelers cornerback Cory Trice Jr. “That falls on me,” Nix said. “Can’t have that.”
When asked to explain the play further, Nix simply said, “Dropped back and threw it to the other team.”
Last weekend in a 26-20 loss to Seattle, Nix was 26 of 42 for 138 yards and two interceptions. He was 20 of 35 for 246 yards against Pittsburgh.
Looking ahead, Nix doesn’t want the offensive schemes to be simplified.
“If you’re too simple, then they’ll just pick you apart,” Nix said. “So there’s just a fine line. I felt good with the plan going in. I think we’ve just got to execute the plays better.”
He believes he made progress in his second NFL game.
“Sometimes good steps don’t turn into wins, though,” Nix said. “It’s a long process. It’s a tough league for a reason and we just have to continue as a crew, as a group, find ways to get better and build.”
