The Denver Broncos won the game but lost their quarterback. That’s the simple takeaway from last night’s 33-30 overtime win in the last night’s division-round game at Mile High, but of course there’s so much more to this story.
Jeff Legwold of ESPN posed a series of key questions for the Broncos, and they’re actually an excellent framework to understand this wild game and where the Broncos stand going forward as more details emerge about the injury to quarterback Bo Nix.
What happened with the injury?
There was a lot of confusion about this right after the game, but according to Legwold, Nix’s ankle fracture actually occurred during a designed quarterback run from the Buffalo 36 on a first-down play with just over six minutes left in overtime.
Nix was pulled to the ground by Bills safety Cole Bishop, who blew up the play, and the quarterback was limping slightly when he returned to the huddle. The next play was the long incompletion to receiver Marvin Mims Jr. that drew a pass interference flag on cornerback Tre’Davious White. Nix then executed the kneel down to position the ball in the middle of the field, and his ankle appeared to give out. According to Legwold, Nix was limping badly when he went to the sideline as Lutz won the game with his 23-yard field goal.
Who’s next up for Denver?
Jarrett Stidham will be the starter at quarterback next week, with Sam Ehrlinger as the backup. Stidham played for two years with the New England Patriots after being drafted in the fourth round, then spent a year with the Las Vegas Raiders before being signed by Denver in 2023.
Stidham has a strong arm, but nowhere near Nix’s mobility. He’s a backup for a reason, so look for Payton to try to get his new QB to play a clean game with none of the interceptions and poor decisions that have hindered Stidham to date.
What can Denver do to help Stidham?
Run the football, and play tough defense. The latter will be a given, but the former hasn’t happened since running back J.K. Dobbins went down with a Lisfranc foot injury.
What was the immediate reaction from the Broncos?
According to Legwold, many of Nix’s teammates were already gone when Nix’s injury was reported, but those who were there expressed disappointment. Nix is scheduled to have surgery in Alabama on Tuesday, so he'll probably see his teammates later this week.
Do the Broncos have a chance to beat New England or Houston, then win the Super Bowl?
Unlikely. The Broncos defenses will make it tough for whoever they play, but it’s hard to imagine Stidham stepping up to post enough points to make this a game.
What’s the long-term impact on Nix, and how long will he be out?
According to Stephania Bell, the fact that Nix is traveling for surgery means the fracture is unstable and hardware will have to be implanted to ensure proper bone alignment during healing. It also means the fracture was visible on X-ray without requiring further imaging.
The healing time for this injury is 10-12 weeks, but it takes 3-4 months for full physical functionality. Nix should be able to start the regular season in September, assuming no complications occur.