-
Jeff Legwold, ESPN senior writer
DENVER — After what their rookie quarterback did to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday to keep the Denver Broncos in the AFC playoff race, some Broncos players said the five-year rookie quarterback The team’s lettermen could have a future with a coveted three-letter award.
Bo Nix, whom the Broncos selected 12th overall in last April’s draft, had career-highs in passing yards (307), touchdown passes (4) and completion percentage (84.8% ) in the 38-6 demolition of the Falcons. at Empower Field at Mile High. The victory moved the Broncos to 6-5 and keeps them in the AFC playoff race.
“That’s who he is,” Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II said. “I told him, ‘Man, you’re trying to win the MVP, and you don’t even look like the Offensive Rookie of the Year right now, you look like the MVP.’ Just a testament to him. He works hard.”
Nix, who had no touchdown passes and four interceptions in the first three games of the season, threw 13 touchdown passes in the last seven and nine in the last four. After being last among the league’s starters in completion percentage through the first month, he has had three games at 73% or higher in the last four weeks.
He didn’t throw any interceptions on Sunday. It was his fourth game in the last five without a selection and the seventh of the season.
All of this allowed the Broncos to bounce back from last week’s potentially devastating loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, when the potential game-winning field goal was blocked on the final play.
“He’s certainly adapted: third down, red zone, there’s a lot of things he did very well.” [Sunday] night,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “…It’s our league; You’re learning every week, pretty soon you say, ‘I belong here.’ And it’s clear that he belongs here.”
The victory also completed the Broncos’ stampede through the NFC South. Four of Denver’s six wins came against the cross-division on its schedule this year by a combined score of 125-37 over Tampa Bay, Carolina, New Orleans and Atlanta.
The rookie’s two highest passing totals of the season (284 yards against the Panthers and his 300-plus games this week) have come against NFC South teams.
“Those games are a lot of fun,” Nix said. “That’s why you work, that’s why you play, instances like that. I thought everyone had a great day… I think everyone at this level can feel like they belong… Every week, like the coach said, I find ways to improve”.
The Broncos now need to get down to business in the AFC, and the AFC West in particular, in the coming weeks to stay in the playoff race. Denver entered and exited Sunday as the No. 7 team in the AFC race.
As Nix finds a growing comfort level on offense and Payton learns which parts of the playbook make the most sense for the rookie, the Broncos face the home stretch with six AFC games remaining on the schedule. That list includes Indianapolis and Cincinnati, two teams immediately behind them in the AFC playoff standings right now, who also have three division games remaining: against the Raiders next Sunday, against the Chargers on December and against the Chiefs in the regular season finale.
“You feel like you’re in good hands,” Payton said of Nix. “He’s smart on the ball… He has the ability to create and, at the same time, protect the ball.”
“Our team is going in the right direction,” Nix said, “and we just have to keep finding ways to play like we did.” [Sunday]. …Sometimes you wake up ready to roll. “It’s a blessing to be in my place, in my shoes.”
