There hasn't been much of a Denver Broncos quarterback controversy this offseason. Sure, Sean Payton and the rest of the coaching staff have yet to name a Week 1 starter, but every report coming out of Broncos training camp has Bo Nix as the runaway favorite for the job. The Broncos' chorus favoring Nix grew louder after he led four scoring drives during his preseason debut, a 34-30 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Jarrett Stidham, the 2019 fourth-rounder, began that contest under center. With a handful of starts throughout his career, including two last year in Denver, Stidham is the most experienced quarterback on the roster. Not that it showed.
Stidham and the Broncos stalled out in the first drive, collecting just nine yards on five plays before punting. On his second drive, he didn't perform any better after being intercepted. That errant pass ended Stidham's day at 4-for-7 passing for 37 yards plus the interception.
Nix performed great, as he has done all through Broncos training camp. He completed 15-of-21 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. He also showed some escapability by rushing for 17 yards on three carries. Even Zach Wilson had himself a day by leading two touchdown-scoring drives. He finished with 117 passing yards on 10-of-13 passing.
When discussing Nix's ability to execute on offense, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi spoke highly of the rookie quarterback's performance against the Colts, via Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post.
“When you give him a play, and it’s new and the defense has a new install, there’s a little bit of a — not as much confidence when he gets it and you look in his eyes,” Lombardi said. “After a couple of days when you’re running the same plays, you just feel like he’s a veteran.”
Bo Nix is Broncos' presumptive starting quarterback
It's admirable that Payton prefers to put Nix through his proper paces. And Stidham's struggles were felt team-wide. Denver committed four penalties at the start this matchup: two false starts, hold and taunting. These early Broncos' miscues are best ironed out in the preseason.
The 24-year-old looked like a gamer against the Colts. Playing with an infectious efficiency as seen in the highlights above. The scouting report on Nix has always raved about his pocket feel, delivering the football under duress and astute adjustments if a play breaks down. No rookie quarterback has come into the NFL with more college starts than Nix (61).
The Broncos are hungry to find their starting quarterback. Since Peyton Manning departed after the 2015 season, it's been a revolving door of mediocrity, most recently with the failed experiment of Russell Wilson.
Nix will have his next opportunity against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, August 18 at 8:00 p.m. EST.
Follow Us
Subscribe