Nix steered the Broncos to victory with pinpoint passes and a crucial rushing touchdown, showcasing the calm efficiency needed for a playoff push.
Though the final scoreline implies a close contest, the Denver Broncos fairly easily cruised passed the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday to a score of 24-17. It was their tenth consecutive win of the year, taking them to a league-leading 11-2 record.
Second-year quarterback Bo Nix looked confident under center, completing 31 of his 38 attempted passes against the Las Vegas secondary for 212 yards. He didn’t add to his passing touchdown total on the year, but he did find the endzone in the ground game, where he tallied an additional 15 yards.
It wasn’t a dominant performance from Nix or the offense, and at times, there were those same inconsistencies and struggles that have been present all season long, but Nix and the offense remained collected and simply got done what they needed to. Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski gave Nix a ‘B’ grade for his Week 14 performance.
“Nix doesn't need to be spectacular at quarterback, not with Denver's defense and a capable rushing attack,” Sobleski wrote in a recent article. “He just needs to be efficient, which he was Sunday by completing 81.6 percent of his passes and by contributing a rushing touchdown. The sophomore signal-caller didn't even complete pass over 15 yards, yet the Broncos were able to generate 356 yards of offense.”
Nix is in a perfect situation in Denver to start his career. Although he’s on a team with serious contender dreams, he isn’t being asked to do it on his own. He has a competent team on both sides of the ball around him to take the weight off his shoulders under center. He has a coach in Sean Payton who trusts him and a system in which he doesn’t have to be the hero and rely on huge plays.
Instead, Nix’s job is to keep the offense going. That means keeping the ball in their hands, being efficient, and refusing to turn the ball over. Nix has time and time again shown that he’s capable of providing just that for the Broncos. Sunday was no different, having an ultra-efficient game that didn’t rely on big plays, but rather constant shorter attempts that wore down the defense play after play.
Nix and the Broncos offense had complete control over the game, and that’s exactly what a team with Super Bowl aspirations requires. With a fairly tough remaining schedule, Denver will need the same poise and efficiency out of Nix as it tries to secure the first-round bye in the AFC.