Following an 0-2 start, the Denver Broncos looked a lot like the team most people expected – a work in progress, smack dab in the midst of a rebuild.
But after two straight wins and heading into a Week 5 tilt with the hated Raiders – as 3.5 favorites, no less – the “p” word has been whispered, murmured and mumbled more than once in Denver this week.
A playoff team? What say you, Jim Mora?
Sure, it’s a fun idea. But even at 3-2 the Broncos are still very much a long shot.
Funny thing though: The Denver Broncos have a defense that’s playoff worthy. That’s a fair statement at this point in the season, given that Vance Joseph’s defense ranks within the top 5 of nearly every important defensive category.
If the Broncos have a playoff caliber defense, what if rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who’s coming off a 60-passing-yards performance, is the primary piece holding this puzzle back?
Everyone expected plenty of bumps in the road. That’s a given with any rookie quarterback. But if the Broncos defense truly makes them a contender, and Nix and the offense continue to look lackluster, is there any chance we could see Jarrett Stidham or Zach Wilson take some snaps?
Both the playoffs and moving on from Nix too soon are very unlikely. But, with one of the NFL’s best defenses in tow, it’s worthy of a hypothetical discussion.
Cody Roark
The Broncos aren’t and shouldn’t even have a sliver of a thought about “Let’s see Stidham.” If they did, it would reflect the level of impatience that this fanbase has when it comes to quarterback play. Even though Nix didn’t have a great showing against the Jets in a monsoon, he was the only QB to throw a TD pass in that game. Let him continue to grow and maneuver as a rookie. He has the tools and there are a lot of things on tape that show his process becoming much cleaner and efficient.
Dan Mohrmann
Sweet. It took all of four weeks for our patience to start running low. Let’s keep a few things in mind, the Broncos over/under on wins to start the season was 5.5. To win six games is overachieving. There can be no viable future for this team if Bo Nix doesn’t get the time to develop, or even fail if that’s the case. We can’t simply ignore the fact that he was outstanding against the Bucs and then be ready to toss him aside when he plays his first professional game in lousy conditions and isn’t just slinging the ball all over the yard. You know what Bo Nix’s best stat on Sunday was? He won. Through the ugliness of that game, he won. That should be what really counts in his evaluation. The only way Sean Payton should turn to Jarrett Stidham this season is if Nix gets hurt. End of story.
Shawn Drotar
Barring an absolute disaster – we’re taking three or more turnovers and no touchdowns or worse – there’s no reason to pull Nix from any game this season. None. Yes, the other 52 players on Denver’s roster matter, but determining whether Nix can become the Broncos’ long-term QB1 is the point of this entire season. Since finding an answer at quarterback is the Broncos’ most pressing concern, were head coach Sean Payton to decide to pull Nix, it’s not veteran Jarrett Stidham that should get the call; it’s rifle-armed Jets castoff Zach Wilson. Despite flailing through 33 NFL starts already, Wilson – who’s only six months older than Nix – still has an outside chance of proving that he could still lead an NFL team, and he certainly isn’t any worse than Stidham, anyway. Should Payton have to move away from his chosen quarterback, the fact that he has another talented-but-raw option available to him is both unusual and fortuitous… but is Payton bold enough to make that call?
Aniello Piro
As long as the Broncos keep winning, Bo will play. Sean Payton will play Nix as long as he can this season. Look at the defenses Nix has had to play against through the opening stretch of the season: Seahawks, Steelers, Bucs, Jets… four solid units. I think this weekend is a much more favorable matchup against the Raiders. I like Nix to bounce back and lead the Broncos to victory over their rivals for the first time since 2019.
Mark Knudson
Maybe look at this another way: Regardless of the two recent wins, this is still a “rebuilding year” for the Broncos, right? The roster isn’t what Sean Payton wants it to become. They need more future draft picks. And they have a trade chip that is slowly growing in value as more QB’s go down with injuries. So, if Nix struggles at any time in the next few weeks and Payton wants to give the rookie some time to observe and regroup, why not play Zach Wilson? If he performs like he did in pre-season, he becomes a really valuable trade chip, right? Maybe get a fourth rounder in return, kind of trade chip? Does George Paton have the Miami Dolphins phone number? Stidham is what he is: Joe Average. Maybe with the way Denver’s D is playing, he’d be enough to win a game or two. Maybe not. But in the big picture, what does that mean? The Broncos have nothing really to lose this season as they build a new roster. So why not swing for the fences and try to build up Wilson before that Nov. 5 trade deadline?