In Week 1 film review, Bo Nix showed coaches a reason to believe
Sep 13, 2024, 2:39 AM
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Bo Nix rolled into work on Monday morning knowing what lay ahead of him: film review, sometimes harsh, of an opening act as an NFL starting quarterback that did not go as he or the Denver Broncos would have hoped. Like the Week 1 debuts of a slew of quarterbacks who would become outstanding, it was well below par.
But it was in that film dissection where he reminded Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi why the team had enough faith in him to stake their future — and not just the season — to the No. 12 overall pick.
“The thing I like the most is when we came in on Monday and watched the film, before anything was said, he knew and he had answers for everything and you could see that there’s going to be growth from when he makes mistakes,” Lombardi explained.
Sunday, plenty of things went wrong, and Bo Nix didn’t need the coaches to point out what went askew — or why.
“I’m sure he was really jazzed up on Sunday, and he’ll probably be a little bit more calm as every game comes along, and he’ll just keep getting better and better,” Lombardi said. “And that’s what I was encouraged with on Monday is just how quickly he figured out, “I need to do this next time.’
“You could just see the wheels turning and the learning happening. I think he’ll just keep getting better and better.”
The culprits for an offensive showing in which the only consistent aspect seemed to be drives ending without a first down in Week 1 were myriad. No one escaped responsibility — all the way to the sideline.
“I would say that nobody on offense — including the coaches — had a great day on Sunday,” Lombardi said. “So, I think everyone getting a little bit better is going to help him the most.”
And for Nix, it will be a matter of fundamentals and decision-making.
“There was one play in particular where I think we had a chance at a big play and he just had the wrong footwork, so he was a little ahead of the throw which caused it to look very inaccurate,” Lombardi said. “So you know just a couple little details like that … the two interceptions. He kind of forced them in there.”
That is something Nix will need to avoid Sunday against Pittsburgh’s pressure-intensive, takeaway-happy defense. Last Sunday’s 18-10 win over Atlanta marked the sixth time in the last two seasons in which the Steelers forced at least 3 takeaways; no AFC team has more such games in that span.
Broncos OC Joe Lombardi expects rookie QB Bo Nix to get calmer and settle in as games progress, "and he'll just keep getting better and better. And I guess what I was encouraged with on Monday is just how quickly he figured out, 'I need to do this.' Next time you could just see… pic.twitter.com/d2rx2qzMHU
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) September 13, 2024
Pittsburgh’s ball-hawking tendencies serve as a further reminder to Bo Nix that incompletions aren’t necessarily bad plays. That lesson will come in handy against an aggressive defense like Pittsburgh’s that majors in forcing mistakes.
“I think it’s a message that’s delivered really every day starting in the beginning of training camp. We’ve got Bill Parcells’ 10 commandments for the quarterback, and it’s like, ‘Incompletions are not bad plays; sacks and turnovers are bad plays,'” Lombardi said. “It’s always an emphasis, but [with] a defense like this, you harp on it a couple times more than normal maybe.”
And after a two-giveaway opener, that might be the most important immediate lesson that Nix must learn — and apply.
(Photo by Andrew Mason / DenverSports.com)
