The Denver Broncos have winnable games the next two weeks, facing the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers.

Some are saying Denver should jump ship, only six games into the season, and start playing more rookies. A few even want the Broncos to bench Bo Nix.

But mid-October is not the time to give up on the 2024 season, it’s time to dig in and ride the Bo-ller coaster.

Denver Broncos have two winnable games up next; can they improve to 5-3?

When Sean Payton drafted Bo Nix in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, it was clear this is Nix’s team. Yes, Payton put on a quarterback competition with Jarrett Stidham, but most knew Nix was going to start.

That’s why, before the season, we reminded Broncos fans there will be ups and downs for any rookie quarterback.

Call it the Bo-ller coaster, if you wish.

One week he’s sky high. The next? He comes crashing to earth.

Growth is very rarely linear, whether you’re an NFL QB or a head coach trying to rebuild a franchise. And that’s what we’ve seen from Nix; some highs, and more lows.

Weeks 1 and 2 he was a turnover machine, with four interceptions thrown, two of which occurred in the red zone. Week 3, Nix was unleashed, and the offense enjoyed a breakout game.

Week 4 was the crazy rain game in New Jersey against the Jets, but Nix pushed through his awful first half and rallied the Broncos for a win. Then, he enjoyed his best game as an NFL quarterback in the easy win over the Raiders, before playing terribly for most of the loss against the Chargers last Sunday.

Nix came alive in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late.

At 3-3, the Broncos are actually ahead of where most people expected them to be preseason.

Although this is a short week, playing in two days at New Orleans, the Saints are a beatable team. They’re without starting quarterback Derek Carr and have lost four straight games, including the embarrassing 51-27 blowout by the Buccaneers on Sunday.

The orange and blue are down–missing Patrick Surtain in concussion protocol–but they’re not out.

The next two weeks, the Denver Broncos have winnable games. The Saints are 2-4 and the Panthers are 1-5. If Denver pushes through and finds a way to win both, they’ll be sitting at 5-3 on the season with a slate of very tough games up next.

Bo Nix should play the rest of 2024, and likely 2025 too

Only six games into his career, and some fans want to cut bait on Bo Nix.

Has he been great? No. Has he even been mediocre? Eh, probably not, if you’re looking at analytics or even basic stats.

But, he’s a rookie. On a terrible team. With three offensive linemen injured. And a nonexistent running game.

These aren’t excuses, they’re the objective truth.

What Nix is doing poorly probably outweighs the good. He’s checking down when he doesn’t need to. The rookie isn’t setting his feet consistently enough, and that’s leading to inaccuracy issues. He’s hearing footsteps in the pocket, and sometimes bailing from a great pocket unnecessarily. And Nix has forced throws into covered receivers, resulting in turnovers.

On the plus side, Nix is incredibly athletic. He’s been able to dodge would-be sacks, and keep plays alive. Currently, he’s on pace for 25 sacks, which is nearly half of Russell Wilson’s 45 last year. Sometimes he uses that speed to gain yards on the ground. His 180 rushing yards are second to Javonte Williams (213), and Nix leads the team in rushing touchdowns (3) and first downs (18). And while he hasn’t been consistent enough, Nix has enjoyed a handful of great deep throws.

Payton and the Broncos need to stay on the Bo-ller coaster all season long. And then take 17 games worth of film, dissect it, and better understand what he does well and what he struggles with.

Then, in 2025, run it back with him. This time, with $70.6 million in cap space.

Sean Payton isn’t going away from his guy. Nor is he going away any time soon.

The Broncos have improved under Payton, especially on defense and special teams, and most expect the offense to grow along the way.

Other young guys should and will get playing time as the season goes on. And that’s great going into 2025, getting them some experience.

But the Denver Broncos have winnable games the next two weeks, too.  Where they stand after these games will determine how many young guys play, and how much.