In preseason debut, Bo Nix looked ready to start

INDIANAPOLIS — If Bo Nix had any trepidation about stepping into an NFL huddle for the first time in a game situation as he did Sunday inside Lucas Oil Stadium, it never showed.

“I think he handled himself great,” said right tackle Mike McGlinchey, who was on the field when Nix took his first professional game-time snaps. “I think he had a nice, cool, calm presence about him.

“… I think he’s got that great mix of humility and confidence that is envied in this game, and I think he’s heading in the right direction.”

Indeed, Nix looked just as he has during the last two-and-a-half weeks of Denver Broncos training camp. And if anything, he looked better than that, because he mixed the rhythm-and-timing throws with moments that leapt beyond play structure — which is crucial for any quarterback who wants to find success in the game’s highest level.

But first, he had to overcome early hiccups after entering with 3:06 left in the first quarter.

Nix’s first attempt was off his back foot and led Greg Dulcich into a collision with Colts safety Nick Cross. His second saw him miss Lil’Jordan Humphrey in tight coverage.

Then came third-and-10, where the Bo Nix athleticism finally reached the stage. Flushed to his left, Nix kept his gaze downfield, twisted and fired an off-balance throw to Courtland Sutton near the left sideline for 22 yards.

It was one of a cluster of plays that saw him flourish when things didn’t go according to plan. Two plays after Nix hit Sutton, the Colts blitzed. Nix quickly fired as he faded, hitting Josh Reynolds for an 11-yard pickup.

He scrambled. He completed a pass throwing across his body.

“I train for that, and I make sure that I work to keep some of that,” Nix said. “It’s big when plays break
down — it’s important to be able to extend plays. I think it’s really beneficial for the offense, and you never
know when you will need it, so it’s always good to train it, and it’s good to have.”

And after a 2-for-6 opening series, Nix completed his next 7 attempts and 13 of his final 15 throws before his day ended.

He was dynamic and metronomic. On schedule and beyond structure.

“He’s shown gradual improvement — and at times, really great improvement — all throughout this training camp, and I think today was no exception,” McGlinchey said.

“He played his balls off out there, and I’m just proud of him and excited to see where he can go.”

Bo Nix has made an impression on Broncos RT Mike McGlinchey, one of the team captains from last year, closing his thoughts on Nix thusly:

"He played his balls off out there, and I'm just proud of him and excited to see where he can go." pic.twitter.com/bdbmCn0Xww

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 11, 2024

With Nix’s game working in myriad ways the results were exactly what the Broncos hoped to see: four scoring drives in five possessions, with the only series that fell short happening because of a Lucas Krull fumble. Two scores were touchdowns; two others were field goals.

An average of 4.0 points per possession would win the Broncos a bushel of games, even if the defense buckles.

Nix would have had a second touchdown if Reynolds had timed his leap for the football properly in the end zone during the second quarter; instead, he just missed, forcing the Broncos to settle for a field goal.

But aside from that, the day was as good as could be expected.

“Same thing he’s been doing in practice,” wide receiver Tim Patrick said. “Just making plays, taking charge of the huddle and just being Bo Nix.”

Just being Nix is pretty good business.

BO NIX FLOURISHED IN HIGH-LEVERAGE SITUATIONS

The Broncos spent plenty of periods in the days leading up to the preseason opener working on third downs and the two-minute drill. And Nix excelled in both scenarios.

With the Colts driving to what would be their first touchdown late in the second quarter, Sean Payton began using his timeouts to set up a two-minute drill.

And although Krull scuttled one end-of-half chance by putting a Bo Nix pass on the ground immediately after the Broncos gained possession, a Keidron Smith interception gave Nix a second chance with 1:24 left before halftime, and he pounced.


First, Bo Nix got Krull — who later departed due to a toe injury — involved, finding the young tight end twice for 16-yard receptions. Then, he used Devaughn Vele’s frame to draw a pass-interference penalty — maybe a bit dicey, but also an example of knowing the talent at your disposal and maximizing it. Nix and the Broncos got a Wil Lutz field goal from the work.

And then there were third downs — which included Nix’s touchdown pass to Marvin Mims Jr. On 6 third downs, Nix dropped back to pass or scrambled. He completed 4 of his 5 attempts and ran once.

The Broncos didn’t lose yardage. Most importantly, they converted 4 of the 6 QB plays Nix had on third downs. It’s a small sample size, but this was an area in which the offense struggled last year.

Nix was poised, and it revealed itself on third downs and in the two-minute offense.

“This is preseason and, yeah, the games might not count, but these reps are as important as they can as they can be,” wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. And he got put into a situation where he had an opportunity to go manage a two-minute situation. And I think he handled it very well and had a lot of poise, a lot of control.

“The moment wasn’t too big for him and, you know, the moments are only gonna get bigger. You know, this is the preseason. The games don’t count. But come Week 1, whoever they decide to put out there as our starter, they’re gonna have to handle that situation the best they possibly can.

“And I think in that moment, he did really well and look forward to see how he handles future moments.”

Sunday’s work doesn’t represent the full spectrum of data points for Payton to make his decision.

But what Bo Nix showed Sunday helped illuminate he was a first-round pick.

He looked ready to start.

All roads lead to Bo Nix.

After Sunday, those roads might be leading the Broncos to Bo Nix as the starting quarterback very soon.

My wrap from the field in Indianapolis: pic.twitter.com/iC68L69cGx

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 11, 2024