Bo Nix has proven that he’s not just a dink-and-dunk passer

The Denver Broncos had a bye in Week 14 of the 2024 season. It’s a late bye, one that I didn’t like when the schedule was released in the spring. However, this rest may come at the right time as the Broncos make a push for the postseason.

I like when the Broncos get to the playoffs. It’s been quite some time since that happened, but hopefully this becomes common in the Bo Nix era.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep Wrangler TJ! The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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Bo Nix Connecting Deep Often

Coming out of Oregon, Bo Nix was miscast by some as a quarterback who only knew how to check down short passes. Yes, he completed 189 passes at or behind the line of scrimmage in his final season with the Ducks, but looking beyond the easy completions revealed a quarterback who could attack a defense on deep shots.

This season with the Broncos, Nix has been going deep often – and he’s completing more of those passes than any other quarterback in the NFL. He’s certainly proven that he’s more than a “check down Charlie” as some stated before the NFL Draft. Studying his growth with HC Sean Payton has been fascinating.

Earlier this year, I questioned why it looked like Payton did not yet trust Nix as a passer. It seemed like the training wheels were on, and Payton was stubbornly holding his rookie back. Once the Broncos played the New Orleans Saints, you saw more of the Payton offense made famous in the Big Easy. Payton waited with Nix, but he’s now unleashed him and keeps feeding him more on a weekly basis. Even entering Week 15, there’s really no book on Nix – because we don’t yet know what he can’t do.

Bo Nix has been letting it rip 🚀 pic.twitter.com/gPOBntiLCW

— PFF (@PFF) December 7, 2024

Nix has been getting better each week, and he’s adapted to what Payton wants him to do. They’re not just dinking and dunking, but this duo wants to get you deep – and they can do just that.

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Nine Consecutive AFC West Titles

By defeating the Los Angeles Chargers on “Sunday Night Football,” the Kansas City Chiefs won the AFC West for the ninth year in a row. They might be the worst one-loss team in NFL history, but the Chiefs are getting improbable wins on a weekly basis, and they’re likely headed to the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the conference.

The win secured the division title, but is this the last time? The AFC West is arguably the toughest division in football. The Chargers are a good team, and the Broncos are quickly closing what was a huge gap between the Chiefs and everyone else. If the Las Vegas Raiders select Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, that just makes the division tougher.

Nix is the key here as his play could one day rival that of Chiefs superstar QB Patrick Mahomes. That may seem outlandish to some, but Nix has upside that we have yet to see on the field. The Broncos aren’t playing perfect football, and their offense is incomplete to say the least. When more pieces are in place around Nix, then winning the AFC West could be in the cards for the Broncos.

Back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back‼️ pic.twitter.com/OuaPQeKOEA

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 9, 2024

They got it (again) this year, but here’s hoping the Nix era can put on end to the Chiefs domination within the division.

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Ashton Jeanty Should Stay a Bronco

Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty is the best player at his position in the 2025 NFL Draft, and the Broncos should take him in the first round. With a playoff appearance likely, the Broncos are going to be picking later in the first round. By that time, Jeanty may already be off the board. However, I’m of the mind that they should move up to secure the Broncos running back.

Jeanty can do it all, just like Payton likes. He’s a runner who creates his own space with power, moves and speed. Jeanty is tough to bring down with arm tackles, and he’s got enough wiggle to make defenders miss in small spaces. Add in his speed to gash defenses after contact, and Jeanty is a threat every time he touches the ball.

Even though this season he’s not caught as many passes, one just has to look at his 2023 numbers to see how effective he can be as a receiver out of the backfield. The Broncos are trying to piece a below average ground game right now with Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Audric Estime in a three-headed running back by committee. Instead of struggling to run the ball, drafting Jeanty would give them one guy to feed as a workhorse back and centerpiece of the offense.

ASHTON JEANTY IS UNSTOPPABLE ⚡️@BroncoSportsFB scores a third TD before the half 😤 pic.twitter.com/2Xek565tR5

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 7, 2024

If you want to get this team into a Super Bowl window faster, get Jeanty on the same offense as Nix. The league will tremble if that duo is created. You know what to do Payton (and George Paton).

Follow @CecilLammey