Bo Nix’s debut was encouraging, but there’s still a ways to go

Bo Nix’s debut was encouraging. The Broncos rookie quarterback stepped foot on an NFL field for the first time on Sunday, his initial foray into live competition, and things went well. In a lot of ways.

First, the QB’s numbers were good. Nix finished the day completing 15 of 21 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t throw any interceptions, while also picking up 17 yards and three carries.

That’s an efficient stat line. It’s encouraging.

In addition, the quarterback put points on the scoreboard. Nix led four scoring drives, finishing with two touchdowns and two field goals during his time at the helm. That’s 20 points in less than a half of work.

Considering the Broncos anemic offense in recent years, that’s downright prolific. It’s encouraging.

And perhaps most importantly, he looked the part. Nix didn’t seem nervous, overwhelmed or out of his element. He was calm, cool and collected. He appeared to be in total control, comfortable in Sean Payton’s offense.

“I felt very calm and relaxed back there,” Nix said after the game.

Rookie quarterbacks are often in over the heads; Nix didn’t appear to be. That’s encouraging.

Given these results, the superlatives came pouring in on social media. Broncos Country is all in on their new quarterback, as is most of the media that covers the team.

The excitement is understandable. After all, the team has been on a seemingly never-ending QB carousel, searching for Peyton Manning’s replacement since The Sheriff rode off into the sunset following the 2015 season.

Any glimmer of hope is going to get people fired up. It’s going to cause a giant overreaction. And that’s what happened on Sunday.

The reality is that Nix was good. He was solid. He was fine. The quarterback wasn’t great. He wasn’t amazing. He wasn’t the greatest thing ever seen in orange and blue.

Nix completed some passes, but most were short throws. He didn’t stretch the field. And he didn’t work the middle of the field, save for some dump-off passes to Lucas Krull in the two-minute drill.

He’s going to have to do those things to be an effective QB in the NFL. Averaging 6.5 yards per pass attempt, which means he’d have to have 46 attempts to put up a 300-yard game, isn’t going to get it done. Nix isn’t going to be able to dink and dunk his way to success.

In addition, it has to be considered that the Colts were playing a very vanilla defense, especially once the starters were out of the game. That helped Nix post some good-looking numbers.

Case in point: Zach Wilson’s were even better. The Broncos third-string quarterback finished the day 10-of-13 for 117 yards; his 103.7 QB rating was better than Nix’s 102.3.

Preseason numbers can be deceiving. A year ago, Ben DiNucci finished the preseason with a 105.2 QB rating against backups. He was cut.

None of this is to say that people shouldn’t be excited about Nix’s debut. It was impressive. It was something to build upon. And it should be enough to have him be the team’s starter in Week 1 at Seattle.

There’s just no reason to start looking for a spot on the facade to squeeze Nix’s name into the Ring of Fame. Not yet.

NFL history is littered with players who shine in the preseason, but never amount to much once the games start to count. The Broncos have experience with fast starts that don’t last, with Trevor Siemian being the prime example.

Nix answered some questions on Sunday. He can operate the offense. He can make good decisions. And he’s a playmaker with his feet.

But some still remain. Can he make throws into tight coverage on third-and-long? Can he stretch the field? Can he work between the numbers?

There’s more reason to believe today that he can than ever before. That’s what an encouraging performance will do.

But have the Broncos found their football savior? Is the long, cold winter in QB purgatory finally over in the Mile High City? That would be jumping the gun.

The first preseason game was encouraging. That’s the best perspective in mid-August.

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