Quarterback Bo Nix has spent this week in the crosshairs. Critics have been calling him a system QB who can’t hit big throws (quietly raises hand), and there’s been a hue and cry to reel in the Denver Broncos offense and adjust accordingly.
But head coach Sean Payton doesn’t see it that way. His faith in Nix seems unlimited, dating back to last year when he shocked the NFL world by making the Oregon product the 12th pick in the draft. He wants Nix to go for it with his downfield throws, and to his credit, Payton didn’t couch his intentions in coach-speak.
“Just keep firing. He’s gonna hit plenty of those,” Payton said, via 104.3 The Fan in a quote picked up by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
Payton may be right about that, but the real question is the cost. Turn Nix into a turnover machine, and the Broncos season turns into an exercise in quarterback development.
It’s a delicate balancing act, and the coach knows it. But Payton has carved out a Hall of Fame coaching career by being a contrarian when he needs to , and this is one instance where he’s going big to do it.
There is occasional evidence to suggest that Nix can do this. He hit a 52-yard touchdown strike to receiver Courtland Sutton last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, and there were several other near misses that might have turned the game around. Receiver Troy Franklin is starting to emerge as a threat, so there’s talent here to develop as well.
The flip side of that is that the old “horseshoes and hand grenades” adage, which has applied often enough to suggest that Nix is experiencing a sophomore slump. Nix often likes more like a “fire, ready, aim” kind of guy than a QB who can become a genuinely accurate gunslinger, and Payton’s goal feels like a big reach right now.
Given the leaky state of the Cincinnati Bengals defense in their last two games, it would be a lot safer to go back to running backs J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey and let them continue to average over five yards a carry while breaking big plays. But Payton sees the way the Minnesota Vikings blasted the Bengals, 48-10, so he wants Nix to let it rip.
It’s not a bad idea this week, but a road game against the Philadelphia Eagles is on tap after that, so that “Proceed With Caution” sign should be plastered all over the locker room. But that’s not how Sean Payton operates, so expect Nix to go bombs away on Monday night.