The Denver Broncos offense has had its fair share of ups and downs, both in the run game and passing game, but it seems that their identity can become more clearly established if they find consistency in those departments. The intermediate passing game is an area where Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix believes the team is demonstrating growth.
Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix sees growth with team’s intermediate passing game
The flow of an NFL game presents different twists and turns for quarterbacks around the league, but the curve is much different for a young rookie quarterback. Bo Nix is navigating these waters and is in a good position, showcasing growth on a week-to-week basis.
The optics for rookie quarterbacks in today’s game, from the spectator’s standpoint, are magnified under unrealistic scrutiny, hinging on the success or failure of any play. Young quarterbacks in today’s game aren’t given the benefit of the doubt to make mistakes and learn and grow if it were up to the spectator crowd, but thankfully, the loud majority don’t have the power to make that decision.
Nix is completing 61.2% of his passes this season and has showcased plenty of moments where he’s making consistent plays, but he also has had moments that will need to be worked on overtime, with footwork being the recent critique.
When his feet are set and the pocket is clean, Nix has been better in the intermediate passing game, finding Lucas Krull, Troy Franklin, and Devaughn Vele this past week against the Saints. Nix believes the intermediate game is an area where he sees growth for the offense.
“I see growth in a lot of it,” Nix said. “The screens and the short-completion plays are working for us now. Then we’ve hit some intermediate [throws] at times and some explosives. Then we’ve hit some deep shots. All of it has to continue to be good for us and that’s how you create good offenses.”
Getting the rushing offense going has been an area the team has been looking to be more consistent with, and Thursday’s game against the Saints showcased how this offense can evolve on a weekly basis.
“It’s been really good,” Nix said. “That’s kind of the thing about our offense, you never really know when we go out there what we’re going to do. It’s hard to defend. Some games we’ll throw the ball and do it well, and other games—like Thursday—we’ll run it and run for over 200 [yards]. That’s how you win ball games really. You don’t have to throw it when you run for 250 yards. I thought that was good to see from our offensive line and our [running] backs. Physical runs and getting downhill. I thought that was really good for us to open up our offense.”
As Denver prepares to take on a Panthers defense that is ranked in the bottom ten in nearly every major category, Sunday’s game is an opportunity for them to continue to build their offensive identity.
