The Broncos should embrace the notion of Bo Nix as a dual-threat QB

NEW ORLEANS — Bo Nix doesn’t get the widespread hullabaloo over his legs that fellow rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels does in Washington. He isn’t considered by most pundits to be in the same class of dynamic mobile quarterbacks as Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, Arizona’s Kyler Murray and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts.

But in rushing yardage so far this season, Nix shares their company.

Like them, he ranks in the top five quarterbacks in rushing yardage, soaring to that spot after using his legs to accumulate 75 yards as the Broncos gradually pulled away for a 33-10 rout of the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night.

No Broncos quarterback had gained that many yards on the ground in a single game since Tim Tebow on Dec. 18, 2011 against New England. And on a night that saw Nix eventually settle down after a few misfires — encapsulated by a pass that landed roughly equidistant between Lucas Krull and Troy Franklin on which both were wide open down the left flank — it gave Nix and the offense a lifeline until the aerial game became more consistent.

Nix started the game 1-for-4 for 2 yards. But on that first possession, he ran twice for 22 yards. Denver punted, but that series established a pattern of consistent movement of the football that led to eight-consecutive drives in which the Broncos had at least 2 first downs.

After that initial series, Nix was 15-of-22 for 162 yards. He successfully led a 2-minute drive to a field goal during which he completed 3 passes for 32 yards.

“Bo’s a dual threat,” left tackle Garett Bolles said.

And it’s not just about scrambling and operating beyond play structure. The 32-yard gallop in the third quarter that set up a 5-yard Javonte Williams touchdown run was a designed carry.

“It’s a whole other dimension to his game that he’s been able to showcase, and it’s helped a lot,” tight end Adam Trautman said. “We had a couple designed runs.”

And the Broncos don’t have their most prolific rushing performance in nearly 11 years without those designed runs.

“So, when you can run the ball, it’s obviously easier that way and it just opens up everything else again,” Nix said.

Make no mistake, Nix is part of galvanizing a rushing attack that has averaged 141.2 yards since Week 3. Nix has averaged 39.0 of those yards himself during that stretch.

THE RUNNING BO NIX LEFT NEW ORLEANS SPUTTERING

The thing is, it’s no secret to those who have been watching the Broncos this season. In Week 1, Bo Nix reached 20.05 miles per hour on a 23-yard, fourth-quarter scramble during the loss at Seattle.

Nix’s carries for 14 and 32 yards — the latter of which set up Javonte Williams’ 1-yard touchdown run one snap later that effectively concluded the competitive phase of the game — were his eighth and ninth runs this season that gained at least 10 yards. That leads the Broncos.

“Yeah, I’ll be honest: I had no idea when we drafted him [that] he could run like he can,” Trautman said.

What’s more, Bo Nix continues to show an almost preternatural feel for the pass rush, ducking and dodging with the same kind of control seen only in the “Matrix” movies of decades ago. This is the sort of thing that cannot be coached into a quarterback. Lacking that feel puts a low ceiling on a passer’s professional outlook.

The wheels on Bo Nix go round and round. And they might represent the Broncos’ best path to building confidence for the moment while pouring the foundation of what they hope is a future that involves Nix flourishing.

Sure, that wasn’t the initial plan — nor was it the expectation from a quarterback whose pocket proficiency and accuracy drew Sean Payton’s praise. To date, Bo Nix hasn’t reached optimal efficiency in either aspect.

But until he does, he can lean on his legs — even if he doesn’t get the attention others do.

“He had a lot of passing statistics in college, and he was known for that,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said.

“But keep sleeping on it. … It’s huge for us. It’s an added element to our offense, and it’s certainly making a lot of plays for us.”

And it’s helping Nix become an asset even as he works to find the type of accuracy that defined him in college. He’s moving and the Broncos have four victories in their last five games.

It isn’t without consternation over missed plays, but it’s good enough to win.

Bo Nix … dual-threat QB?

This appears to be the case, and it could be one of the best things that happens for the Broncos offense — and his development.

Let’s talk about it. My postgame thoughts from the Superdome after the Broncos’ romp over the Saints: pic.twitter.com/8U4xEP8iji

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 18, 2024

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