The Denver Broncos and rookie quarterback Bo Nix were expected to face many challenges this season, but things are looking much better now.
Nix has been winning weekly awards and breaking franchise records. He’s put the team in a strong position to end a long playoff drought and has put himself in the running for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
The Broncos (8-5) are currently in the final playoff spot in the AFC and are on their bye week. The timing of the break is perfect for the team, giving them a chance to rest up for the stretch run to try to make the postseason for the first time since their Super Bowl 50 victory in 2015.
While the break is good for the Broncos, it comes at a time when the team has won three straight games. Nix said, “A good week of rest, good week of just kind of (getting) a reset. We’re going for a playoff spot. We’re going for longer in the season. So it’s going to be good for us.”
The Broncos have a 77% chance of making the playoffs, according to the NFL. After the bye, they’ll play a crucial home game against Indianapolis (6-7), a team that’s close behind them.
At the start of the season, the Broncos were struggling at 0-2, including a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nix didn’t throw his first touchdown pass until Week 4, but he quickly turned things around.
After a win over Las Vegas, Nix and coach Payton had an exchange on the sideline that helped strengthen their relationship. Nix recalls, “He turned and looked at me and said, ‘I love you,’ and I turned to him and said, ‘I love you back.’”
Nix, the 12th overall pick from Oregon, has had a great season, and he’s now close in the race for Rookie of the Year. His standout play was a 93-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims Jr. against Cleveland, a throw that covered 46 yards in the air.
The Broncos defense has also contributed to the team’s success. Linebacker Nik Bonitto has 11 sacks, the most for a Broncos player since Von Miller in 2018. Cornerback Pat Surtain II was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month, a first for a Broncos cornerback since Champ Bailey in 2006.
However, Coach Payton was not happy with the defense’s performance in the game against Cleveland, especially allowing Jameis Winston to throw for 497 yards and ex-Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy to have a career-high 235 yards. Despite this, the defense made up for it with three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns.
“We are going to look at a lot of things defensively that we would have done differently,” Payton said. “It was not pretty, and yet in the end, we did what we had to do, especially late.” The Broncos will face the Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Kansas City Chiefs in their next few games.
Recently, the Broncos made a move by waiving veteran receiver Josh Reynolds, who had been on injured reserve since breaking his finger in Week 5.
This shows that the Broncos have confidence in their young receiving corps, including Mims, Devaughn Vele, and Troy Franklin, as well as veteran Courtland Sutton. Sutton, who has 846 receiving yards, has become Nix’s go-to target and is aiming for his second 1,000-yard season.
“We’re a confident bunch right now,” said Sutton. “We’re playing aggressively. We’re playing together. We’re playing with a little bit of confidence and a chip on our shoulder. Just trying to continue to prove not only to other people but to ourselves that we have a really good football team.”
