Cecil Lammy and Andrew Mason debate whether Bo Nix has turned the corner

Lammy sees a quarterback climbing back to last year's level. Mason sees real progress, but not yet the consistency he wants.

BY DENVER SPORTS

Nov 4, 2026, 7:21 PM

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Watch: Is Bo Nix TURNING The Corner On This Season To Play Better Football For The Broncos Orange & Blue | 22 mins

The Broncos are 6-2, and nobody on “Orange and Blue Today” disputes that Bo Nix is playing better than he was a few weeks ago. The harder question is what that improvement is worth. Is it a quarterback turning the corner, or a record that flatters him?

On a recent episode, Cecil Lammey and Andrew Mason came at that question from different directions. Lammey is the optimist. Mason is the one who wants more evidence.

The case for the corner

Lammey points to a passing game that is waking up. Cortland Sutton topped 50 yards for the first time in eight or nine games, and Mason added that Sutton and Jaylen Waddle have each had more production over the last two games than over the previous four. The tight ends are contributing in small ways. The Broncos have not turned the ball over in three games.

Then there is the late-game Nix, who keeps showing up. Lammey summed up the pattern simply.

“Bo Nix turns it on in the fourth quarter and plays unconscious,” he said.

Lammey also rejects the idea that defenses have figured Nix out. The league had its book on him last year too, he argued, and Nix was better then.

“I do not believe that last year was a fluke,” Lammey said.

What the numbers say

Mason’s response is a pile of data, and it cuts both ways. Over the last two games, Nix ranks eighth in the league in EPA per play. But among quarterbacks with at least 40 plays in that stretch, he is 21st of 25 in success rate. The explanation is explosive plays and high-leverage execution. That is a winning formula, Mason said, but not a consistent one.

The close-game record is where he gets most cautious. The Broncos are 18-8 in one-score games with Nix, a .692 winning percentage that edges the Pittsburgh Steelers’ .690, the best in the NFL over the last 10 years. The current streak is 16 straight.

“18 and 8 potentially is sustainable. 16 in a row is not,” Mason said.

His ideal outcome is that the Broncos settle into winning two of every three close games. He added that Nix was lucky to escape a disastrous fumble on Sunday, and that the Broncos were outgained by more than 100 yards.

Wait and see versus accept it

Mason’s skepticism has limits. Nix’s interception rate is down to 1.2%, from 1.8% last year and 2.1% as a rookie. And Mason concedes there is a point where the evidence has to count.

“At some point, you just have to kind of accept that this team is pretty good,” he said.

The hosts’ guess at how much of its potential the team is using shows the gap. Lammey said 60%, Mason 70%. Mason’s higher number reflects his view that some veterans are in a decline phase. Lammey hopes Nix is simply climbing back to his old level after a year-three step back.

Mason said where he stands, and why.

“I’m a little tougher than you,” he said.

The disagreement comes down to timing. Lammey sees an upward trend that is already visible. Mason wants to see Nix play four steady quarters, not just a strong fourth, before he calls it a turn.

Disclosure: This article was transcribed from our original audio content and edited for readability with the assistance of generative AI. The article has been reviewed by our editorial team prior to publication. Please watch or listen to the clip above for the full segment.