Bo Nix: ‘Someone you want to go to war with’

For Bo Nix, Sunday’s loss should have represented the first final-game comeback of which he was a key part as a Denver Bronco. It should have been the first game in which he lived up to the franchise lineage laid down by John Elway, who helped make quarterback-led comebacks a thing during his 16-year, Hall-of-Fame-worthy career.

It wasn’t, of course. And his day wasn’t perfect by any means; he took two sacks for a combined 33 yards in losses and couldn’t fire the offense to any consistent drives in the second half until the late-game march that began with 5:57 remaining.

But he had the second-highest passer rating for a rookie quarterback going on the road for a game at Kansas City — in both Arrowhead Stadium and long-since-demolished Municipal Stadium.

It’s the sort of performance that might not have been possible in September. But the growth of Bo Nix is palpable.

“He’s really just a calming presence,” tight end Adam Trautman said. “Obviously, early on [in the season], he’s getting used to some of the game speed or play calls this or that, but he’s got very, very good control … and you can feel that in the huddle.”

At that, Bo Nix is like a seasoned veteran.

“Any play call that comes out of his mouth, we feel very confident in. And he instills that in us as an offense,” Trautman said. “He’s been terrific, and he’s kind of someone you want to go to war with, and we all feel that way on offense.”

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It’s not just one late-game possession or one game for Nix, either. Consider this: In the last four weeks, his average weekly league-wide ESPN QBR ranking is 9th. That represents a steady improvement in his four-week rolling average, which was 21st from Weeks 1-4 and 22nd in Weeks 2-5, but has been on a steady climb since then. The tale is similar on expected points added (EPA) per play, completion percentage over expected (CPOE), passer rating and success rate.

PASSING OFFENSE: B-PLUS

Nix was just two Courtland Sutton drops away from finishing with a completion percentage of 80 percent. Even with the drops, Nix’s CPOE was the highest of his NFL career so far, and was third-best in the league in Week 10. His EPA/play of 0.129 was his third-best figure this season, and he has now posted five consecutive QBRs over the 50.0 average, including 69.2 on Sunday. He accomplished this against a Chiefs defense that has been stingy.

RUSHING OFFENSE: B-MINUS

In Audric Estimé, the Broncos might have found the power-running answer they seek. Crucially, Estimé didn’t fumble, and he took extra effort to protect the football on the final series. It went for naught, of course, but the work — and the result — left a mark. “It’s definitely tough, but I think it’s going to make me into a monster,” he said. Estimé, Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Marvin Mims Jr. combined to average 4.2 yards per attempt, and the use of Mims in the backfield provided a creative way to put the ball in the explosive second-year player’s hands.

PASSING DEFENSE: B

Kansas City accumulated four explosive pass plays, aided in part by missed tackles that added to the Chiefs’ tally. But the Broncos largely limited the damage once the Chiefs crossed into the red zone, and might have kept them out of the end zone entirely if not for an ill-timed slip in the grass by Ja’Quan McMillian, giving Travis Kelce a cushion for the Chiefs’ sole touchdown of the day.

RUSHING DEFENSE: A-MINUS

Lanes were few and fast-closing for the Chiefs, whose ground game continued to stagger as the Broncos held them to just 3 yards per carry. Kareem Hunt hasn’t been terribly explosive all year; at this point in his career he is a plow horse who can burrow his way for short yardage. Ten of his 35 yards came on one carry and even with that gain, he averaged a meager 2.5 yards per attempt. Just one tackle attempt was missed against the run.

SPECIAL TEAMS: F

If you do OK, stub your toe in the midterm and completely bomb the final exam, your grade will suffer accordingly. Riley Dixon had a pair of sub-4.00-second hang times, but the overall work of the punt team was solid and he placed one punt inside the 20-yard line.