Bo Nix just made a statement. It wasn’t of the 300-yard, multi-touchdown sort, but the Denver Broncos rookie quarterback definitely communicated that he belongs in the NFL.
The Broncos rolled into Raymond James Stadium on Sunday and stunned the league by thumping the heretofore undefeated Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 26-7. The score makes plain that it wasn’t even close, but what the final tally doesn’t tell you is how Nix jumped on the Bucs defense early and never let up.
Nix finished with 216 passing yards, completing 69.4% of his passes, and earned an 85.0 QB rating. Although he didn’t pass for a touchdown, he did rush for one, and finished with 47 yards on the ground, putting him near the 300 mark for the day in total offense. Nine different receivers caught a pass in Tampa.
The Broncos showed modest improvement on third down, and converted 2-of-3 fourth-down tries. And in the red zone, Nix and company hit pay-dirt on 2-of-4 drives. 50% in the red zone isn’t phenomenal, but it’s a vast improvement over the Broncos’ production in the first two games.
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Nix ma still be looking for the first passing touchdown of his NFL career, but he’s now broken the ice in the win column. That winless monkey is off the rookie’s back.
At the podium post-game, Nix explained that he’s doing his best to enjoy the only moment in his life in which he won his first game — with many more to come.
“Well, I’ve got to [enjoy it]. You only get this moment one time and it’s not easy winning games in this league,” Nix said from the podium. “Our guys deserve this. Our guys have earned this. We have a great team that really battled in there.”
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Nix has learned the hard way that winning in the NFL isn’t easy. Each and every victory is an achievement. The Broncos’ two losses this season were both by a single score. Close but no cigar.
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This time, Nix made sure to put some distance between the Broncos and the Bucs.
“We were one possession away in both of the first two games so, just to do what we were able to do today against a really good football team, it gives us a little bit of confidence moving forward,” Nix said. “[It’s] still a long season, but you have to enjoy these wins when they’re here, and it’s a great first win.”
This time around, Nix and company were able to get off to a fast start. Nix began with a 22-yard back-shoulder strike to Courtland Sutton, which was followed by a 31-yard completion to Josh Reynolds two plays later, setting the Broncos up in scoring position.
Nix would punctuate that opening drive with a rushing score. It shows why Sean Payton and NFL coaches at large emphasize starting fast.
“When you start the game with an explosive pass play, you get ‘Court’ involved early, you win a one-on-one, you flip the field in one play—it opens it up for a coordinator,” Nix said. “I thought Coach Payton did a good job of going right back to it. We hit Josh [Reynolds] on the other side and then we get points and we get a touchdown on that first drive. That’s really important to start explosive, but you can’t just hit one. You have to come back and continue to finish out drives. It was good to see that on the first one.”
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Not every drive ended with a touchdown, obviously, but the Broncos got points on six drives. Two touchdowns and four field goals. It was reminiscent of how the offense looked with Nix at the helm during the preseason.
Following Nix’s first win, the Broncos locker room was jubilant. Sunday evening was the time for celebration because soon enough, the Broncos have to dive back into game mode with another East Coast road test.
“Oh, it was great. Before the game, we wanted to hear the music and have a party. We played motivated today,” Nix said. “We went out there and executed at a high level. I think that’s what it’s supposed to feel like. You get back in the locker room and everybody is really excited.”
A lot of effort goes into each and every game. So much hard work, discipline, and preparation. For it to pay off with a victory is the ultimate triumph, even if it is short-lived.
“You put so much into the week,” Nix said. “You put so much effort, time [and] energy [in]. Those are what those moments are about. That’s what you want to get to. You want to get to those post-game celebrations.”
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Broncos Country is hoping that Nix and company are able to celebrate much more often as the 2024 season marches on.
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On Sunday, fans will be treated to a head-to-head contest between two rapidly emerging offensive powerhouses, both of whom are bonafide Rookie of the Year contenders. Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers found new homes with consecutive picks during last April’s NFL draft, and since then, they’ve performed exceptionally well in the pro ranks.
Nix is firmly on the radar of Raiders head coach Antonio Piece, but that’s even more true after yet another award-winning performance last week.
“He was a winner as a freshman. He was a winner as a six-year player,” Pierce noted of Nix. “All he does is win, come in the league. Won the quarterback battle there in Denver. Maybe they were keeping them tight on the leash early on, and now they’re not. He has full control that offense. You can see that Sean Payton gives him opportunities to audible and make some adjustments. He’s making throws, he’s running with his legs, he’s taking care of the football, and he’s winning. That’s all you can ask for from a rookie.”
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Nix presents a clear and present danger to the Raiders’ chances of squeezing out what would be only their third win of their massively disappointing season. Stopping the impressive rookie is proving to be another matter entirely for NFL defenses, especially one with a badly beaten-up roster like the Raiders.
“This is crazy,” Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo said via ESPN‘s Paul Gutierrez. “I’ve never seen this amount of injuries on any team I’ve been on.”
This week, Broncos head coach Sean Payton has pumped the brakes a little on the burgeoning hype exploding around Nix. That being said, you get the distinct feeling that Payton is more than comfortable unleashing Nix’s full array of talents at his disposal. Confidence is growing in Nix, and that’s been reflected in how Payton has opened up the playbook for his first-year signal-caller.
The juices are flowing, and Payton may have found an answer in dynamic second-year receiver Marvin Mims Jr. The mystical “joker” role within the Broncos offense seems to have been filled.
“I think we always gotta be saying, ‘Hey, are we doing everything we can to highlight his strengths?’ And so, yeah, I don’t know if he’s got the ‘joker’ tattoo, but he might be invited to the club,” Payton said via Andrew Mason.
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When push comes to shove, if Nix plays lights out again, an easy win might come Denver’s way, but stopping Bowers would also ensure the victory and help in the race for Rookie of the Year honors. Payton is already on high alert, but it was also tinged with a bit of football envy when he illustrated Bowers’ “joker” abilities.
“Someone had a really good vision for him and you see all the ‘Joker’ traits, means and change of direction,” Payton said of Bowers. “It can’t be a little. It’s a high-end receiving trait and he can move, he can be outside and he can run a route tree maybe different than most tight ends.”
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New York Knicks (9-7, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (9-6, fifth in the Western Conference)
Denver; Monday, 9 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets host the New York Knicks in a non-conference matchup.
The Nuggets have gone 5-3 at home. Denver ranks sixth in the Western Conference with 12.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Jokic averaging 4.4.
The Knicks are 4-5 in road games. New York ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference allowing only 112.4 points while holding opponents to 47.3% shooting.
The Nuggets are shooting 47.8% from the field this season, 0.5 percentage points higher than the 47.3% the Knicks allow to opponents. The Knicks average 14.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.2 more made shots on average than the 13.1 per game the Nuggets allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Porter Jr. is averaging 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Nuggets.
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Jalen Brunson is averaging 25.1 points and 7.4 assists for the Knicks.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 7-3, averaging 118.4 points, 45.5 rebounds, 31.6 assists, 8.7 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.7 points per game.
Knicks: 6-4, averaging 120.3 points, 42.9 rebounds, 29.9 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 50.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.5 points.
INJURIES: Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: out (calf), DaRon Holmes II: out for season (achilles), Vlatko Cancar: out (knee).
Knicks: Precious Achiuwa: out (hamstring), Miles McBride: day to day (knee), Mitchell Robinson: out (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Could the Brooklyn Nets’ No. 1 scoring option team up with a two-time league MVP?
According to Paul Pierce, it’s possible.
On a recent episode of “Ticket & The Truth,” the former Boston Celtics star suggested a move from Brooklyn to the Denver Nuggets for Cam Thomas to provide the 2023 NBA Champions with a depth boost.
“Alright, let me put my GM hat on,” Pierce said. “I think right now, for Cam, I’d like to see him off the bench for Denver. …Because they need that spark plug off the bench.”
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He may want to take that hat off.
The Nuggets do not have an asset they’d be willing to part ways with that would entice the Nets enough to move off of a 23-year-old who’s turning in over 24 points per game. And even if Denver were to offer a king’s ransom of draft capital, as long as Nikola Jokic is healthy a Nuggets’ choice will never hold much value.
Oct 29, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets small guard Cam Thomas (24) shoots the ball against the Denver Nuggets during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
When reports suggested Thomas could be available in negotiations, they didn’t mean Brooklyn was looking to give him away. The return would have to warrant the transaction, and a hypothetical package consisting of Christian Braun and two first-round picks (no offense Christian) won’t be enough to entice Sean Marks.
The Nets shouldn’t look to move Thomas until a can’t-say-no deal emerges. Until then, let him continue to drop nearly 25 a night on the opposition and revisit any potential thoughts of trading the electrifying scorer at February’s deadline.
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