Denver, CO
Denver Broncos Quarterback Bo Nix Finalist For NFL Offensive Rookie of Year: Steal Of Draft Class?
Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix shined in his first season in the NFL and is a finalist for 2024 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Nix is one of five finalists along with Las Vegas Raiders’ Brock Bowers, Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, New York Giants’ Malik Nabers and Jacksonville Jaguars’ Brian Thomas Jr.
The former Oregon Duck was drafted with the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and is proving to be a steal.
Denver’s expected win total before the season was 5.5 according to oddsmakers, and the Broncos ended up finishing with a 10-7 record in the regular season.
Nix also broke the NFL record for touchdown passes at home by a rookie with 19. Los Angeles Chargers and fellow former Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert previously held the record. Nix’s 29 touchdown passes were the second-most by a rookie in NFL history, trailing only Herbert’s 31 touchdown passes in 2020.
For the first time in eight seasons, Nix helped lead the Broncos to their first playoff appearance with a 31-7 Wild Card game loss against the Buffalo Bills.
Before the start of the season, Nix received zero respect in a ranking of NFL starting quarterbacks.
Nix was ranked as the No. 32, or worst, starting quarterback in the league, according to a list by PFF.
Denver coach Sean Payton believes he has the best rookie quarterback in Nix, who was the sixth quarterback drafted in his class.
“He told us Friday in our meeting that he thinks he’s got the best quarterback in the class,” NFL on CBS reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala said. “He repeatedly said that watching Bo Nix get better every single week makes him love coaching.”
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Nix has joined NFL and Broncos legend Peyton Manning in the Denver history books. Nix and Manning are the only rookie quarterbacks in NFL history with at least 200 passing yards and multiple touchdown passes in four consecutive home games.
In his first season, Nix finished with 3,775 passing yards (No. 1 among rookies), 29 passing touchdowns (No. 1 among rookies), 12 interceptions (most among rookies) on a 66.3 completion rate (No. 3 among rookies). He has a passer rating of 93.3 and a quarterback rating of 57.0 (No. 3 among rookies).
“I’m real encouraged, and I’m glad that he’s with us and that it worked out the way it did,” Payton said after the season ended. “I think it’s all in front of him. And I said this before, I think we found that player that can lead us and be what we need, relative to having the success we’re used to having. I think we found it.”
The Broncos had tow more nominations: Payton is nominated for AP Coach of the Year and cornerback Pat Surtain II is nominated for AP Defensive Player of the Year.
Daniels is the major favorite to win offensive rookie of the year.
However, one thing is for certain, Nix’s Broncos legacy is just beginning.
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The Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) dropped from first to second in the NFC North and from the second seed to the seventh seed in the NFC after losing to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Significant injuries suffered against the Broncos will mean lasting implications are felt past Sunday. The Packers are also now a long shot to catch the Los Angeles Rams for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and it’ll take a win next Saturday night in Chicago to retake control in the NFC North.
But the Packers are still in a good spot in terms of making the postseason field, especially after the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys all lost on Sunday.
NFC playoff picture after Week 15
- Los Angeles Rams (11-3, 6-3 vs. NFC)
- Chicago Bears (10-4, 6-3 vs. NFC)
- Philadelphia Eagles (9-5, 7-3 vs. NFC)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7, 5-5 vs. NFC)
- Seattle Seahawks (11-3, 6-3 vs. NFC)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4, 8-2 vs. NFC)
- Green Bay Packers (9-4-1, 7-2-1 vs. NFC)
Others: Lions (8-6), Panthers (7-7), Cowboys (6-7-1)
According to The Athletic’s NFL playoff simulator, the Packers have a 92 percent chance of making the postseason with three weeks to go. They become all but guaranteed of a playoff spot if they can beat the Bears in Chicago in Week 16. In fact, just one win over the final three weeks could be enough for the Packers to get in.
The NFC North winner looks like a coinflip. The Athletic’s model gives the Packers a 48 percent chance of winning the division right now, and it would go up to 82 percent with a win over the Bears on Saturday. Chicago took down the Cleveland Browns with ease in bitter cold temps at Soldier Field on Sunday.
The Athletic’s model also gives the Packers a 98 percent chance of being the No. 2 seed if Matt LaFleur’s team can win out. That will be much easier said than done without Micah Parsons (and potentially Christian Watson) down the stretch.
Two very possibilities for the Packers: Win the NFC North and host the Bears in the NFC Wild Card Round, or get in as the No. 7 seed and go to Chicago to play the Bears in the NFC Wild Card Round. A third round of the rivalry is increasingly possible in January.
Packers remaining games
Nothing easy here. The Bears, Ravens and Vikings all won Sunday. The Bears and Ravens won comfortably; the Vikings upset the Cowboys — who desperately needed to win — in Dallas. The Bears and Ravens are both playing to win division titles. The Vikings are a dangerously talented spoiler team, and winning at U.S. Bank Stadium is never easy. The Athletic’s model gives the Packers roughly a 40 percent chance of making the postseason even with an 0-3 finish. The Lions are the biggest threat to pass the Packers in the event they finish 0-3.
It appears the Packers can clinch a playoff spot next week with a win over the Bears and a Steelers win over the Lions.
It’s time for the AFC’s #1 team to meet the NFC’s #2. Today the Denver Broncos host the Green Bay Packers in a key late-season inter-conference matchup that could have playoff seeding implications for both teams.
In Denver, the Broncos will be trying to hold on to the top spot in the AFC and keep their impressive win streak rolling. Denver has won ten straight games, some of them in fairly ridiculous fashion, but they sit at 11-2, sharing the top record in the NFL with the New England Patriots, who are just behind them in the playoff picture based on conference record.
The Packers, meanwhile, want to hold on to the lead in the NFC North before they have their rematch with the Chicago Bears next Saturday night. Green Bay sits behind only the Los Angeles Rams in the playoff race in the NFC, and they want to return to the Central time zone with that lead intact.
Join us here at Acme Packing Company to discuss today’s game, and Go Pack Go!
Houston Rockets (16-6, third in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (18-6, second in the Western Conference)
Denver; Monday, 9:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Denver hosts Houston looking to end its four-game home slide.
The Nuggets are 13-5 in conference games. Denver averages 125.5 points while outscoring opponents by 9.6 points per game.
The Rockets are 9-5 in Western Conference play. Houston is fifth in the NBA scoring 120.6 points per game while shooting 48.6%.
The Nuggets’ 13.5 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.8 more made shots on average than the 12.7 per game the Rockets give up. The Rockets average 120.6 points per game, 4.7 more than the 115.9 the Nuggets give up.
The teams meet for the second time this season. In the last meeting on Nov. 22 the Nuggets won 112-109 led by 34 points from Nikola Jokic, while Reed Sheppard scored 27 points for the Rockets.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jokic is averaging 29.5 points, 12.3 rebounds and 10.9 assists for the Nuggets. Hunter Tyson is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Alperen Sengun is averaging 23 points, 9.4 rebounds, seven assists and 1.5 steals for the Rockets. Amen Thompson is averaging 20.0 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 7-3, averaging 126.7 points, 41.4 rebounds, 30.3 assists, 5.8 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 53.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.8 points per game.
Rockets: 7-3, averaging 115.7 points, 47.2 rebounds, 24.8 assists, 9.3 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.0 points.
INJURIES: Nuggets: Christian Braun: out (ankle), Aaron Gordon: out (hamstring), Julian Strawther: day to day (back).
Rockets: Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Dorian Finney-Smith: out (ankle), Tari Eason: out (oblique).
——
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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