Former Broncos Super Bowl MVP says Bo Nix reminds him of Lamar Jackson

Von Miller has rushed the passer against the best quarterbacks the NFL has produced over the last decade and a half. So when the former Broncos Super Bowl MVP goes out of his way to shower Bo Nix with praise, people in Denver should pay attention.

On a recent episode of his podcast, “Free Range with Von Miller,” the now-Dallas Cowboys edge rusher reflected on his lone career matchup against Nix, last January’s AFC Divisional Round in Denver. That contest ended with a 33-30 overtime victory for the Broncos, punching their ticket to the AFC Championship Game for the first time in a decade. It also happened to be the last game Miller played as a member of the Buffalo Bills before eventually landing with the Cowboys on a one-year deal this August.

Miller zeroed in on a specific play that stuck with him from that night.

“Bo Nix, I played him. I was in Buffalo and I did a spin move, and he shot out of there,” Miller said. “Lamar Jackson is a totally different player, but the way that he got out of there, his acceleration and how fast he was, it felt like I was playing against Lamar Jackson.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Free Range With Von Miller (@freerangewithvonmiller)

Comparing any quarterback’s escapability to a two-time league MVP, who built his legendary status on his ability to run, is about as strong a compliment as a pass rusher can hand out. Miller has 138.5 career sacks, the most among any active player in the league, and earned Super Bowl 50 MVP honors by terrorizing Cam Newton in the biggest game of his life. The man knows what elite quarterback play looks like from the best possible angle.
But Miller didn’t stop at the physical stuff. He went deeper into what really separates Nix from the rest of the pack.

“He’s incredible. The way he plays the game mentally as well, he’s not scared,” Miller said. “There’s a lot of quarterbacks out there that possess all of those traits. They can throw the ball, they know where to put the ball. But when the game goes on, and it gets tight, and you’re in those tough situations, they kinda clam up. Bo Nix has none of that.”

The numbers from that Divisional Round showdown back up every word. Nix finished 26-of-46 for 279 yards with three touchdowns, and he led the team with 29 rushing yards on 12 carries. Sean Payton called one handoff in the fourth quarter and overtime combined. Everything else ran through Nix’s arm and legs.

Nix delivered all of that before the world found out he’d broken his ankle in overtime, an injury he played through to get the Broncos into the final four.

Miller wears a star on his helmet now, but his respect for what Denver has in its 26-year-old quarterback couldn’t be any clearer. When a future Hall of Famer tells you a guy doesn’t flinch, believe him.

Related

Broncos DC Vance Joseph: Mahomes ‘wouldn’t play if he couldn’t be himself’Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton excited for ‘great responsibility’ of MNF in Week 1Broncos, Nix expecting ‘many bags of tricks’ from Chiefs and SpagnuoloEx-Broncos QB Lock steps in for injured Darnold with mistake-free playBo Nix approaches Sean Payton much like Drew Brees wouldBo Nix feels like he’s ‘back into the mode of the game’ as return creeps closer