Bo

Nix

Of course he was. Daniels had one of the best rookie campaigns ever; leading the Commanders for the NFC Title and impressing with his poise in the pocket and ability to make plays with his legs outside of it. He should be in the MVP conversation in the coming years based on everything he showed as a rookie in 2024. Daniels received 49-of-50 first-place votes, with Brock Bowers receiving the other. Bo Nix finished a distant third.

Although the Broncos often kept the governor on to an absurd degree this season, Nix reminded of his big-play upside on the opening drive in Buffalo, uncorking a 43-yard deep ball score to Troy Franklin on the fifth play from scrimmage. Franklin got a step, and Nix did not miss. Awesome stuff, though it was not to be repeated going forward save for a few long scrambles with Nix’s legs. It was a disappointing end to an otherwise sterling rookie year, one where Nix flirted with the first-year touchdown record. As alluded to above, coach Sean Payton oscillated between having Nix post the lowest aDOT you’ve ever seen and attempting deep shots, but the Oregon product kept passing tests. That included on the ground, where his 430 yards were eighth amongst quarterbacks. Nix went long stretches without using his legs, seeming intent on proving his passing prowess. Hopefully next year we get a more even delineation, but Payton has undoubtedly come away with faith in Nix’s arm. Although his advanced age (25 next month) hints at a near finished product, another year or two in Payton finishing school could have Nix flirting with star status.

Nix looked like the most elusive player on the field at times, playing with a carefree flare. A forward pass penalty negated a would-be 49-yard gain that included a lateral to Javonte Williams, though Nix still banked 27 rushing yards on the play. Courtland Sutton needed 82 receiving yards to activate a half-million-dollar bonus so Nix flung him a team-high seven targets en route to five receptions for 98 yards and one touchdown. Nix proved himself as a high-upside fantasy QB1 this season and he can be treated as such against the Bills for playoff fantasy purposes next week.

A game that eventually finished 30-24 in overtime started with the Broncos down 7-3 at the half. Nix would lead three touchdown drives from four minuted remaining the third quarter through the end of regulation, forcing overtime on a 25-yard jump ball to Marvin Mims along the right sideline of the end zone on fourth down with eight seconds remaining. Nix initially signaled to the sideline to go for two before a long break to confirm the score resulted in a change of heart, with the team electing to kick the point after and send the game to overtime. Overtime was no less wild, with the Bengals missing a chip shot 33-yard field goal with 2:49 remaining before getting the ball back after a three-and-out to drive the field and win the game. The loss is a solid knock to the team’s playoff chances but they can still make the postseason as the No. 7 seed with a win over a Chiefs team with nothing left to play for in Week 18.

Nix and the Broncos’ offense started out red hot, as they scored touchdowns on their first three drives. He found Devaughn Vele and Michael Burton on short touchdown throws in the first 30 minutes, and looked to be having another outstanding fantasy game. Things did not go nearly as well over the final two quarters, however, and the Broncos scored just three points while picking up just six first downs in the third and fourth quarter. When Nix threw short things went well, but the deep shots remain inconsistent — at best — and in particular a throw to a wide-open Marvin Mims had entirely too much air into it; eliminating what could have been a long scoring play for both. Nix and the Broncos have what is now a massive Week 17 matchup against the Bengals.

Nix had one of his most uneven performances of the past couple months. He airmailed a couple passes for interceptions and was not on the same page with No. 1 wideout Courtland Sutton, who eventually caught one of Nix’s three scores on the day. Nix also connected with tight ends Adam Trautman andNate Adkins for touchdowns. With multiple touchdown tosses in four of his past five games, Nix has become a reliable option in 12-team formats. He’ll be a top-15 play in Week 16 against the Chargers. Nix had 216 yards and two TDs in Week 6 against LA, along with 61 yards on the ground.

Nix led the Broncos to a wild 41-32 victory in a game played between two top defenses, with the Broncos picking off Jameis Winston three times, the first two of which were returned for touchdowns. The second half started with a 93-yard touchdown to Marvin Mims on the Broncos’ first possessions after the break, only for Winston to find Jerry Jeudy on a 70-yard touchdown on the next offensive play run from scrimmage. The two long scores ignited the game environment in the second half, with each team scoring two touchdowns after going into the half up 21-17. Nix and the Broncos head to their Week 14 bye at 8-5 and firmly in control of the seventh and final playoff spot out of the AFC.

Nix was estimated as a limited participant for Thursday’s practice. He told reporters today he is “good to go” for Week 13 and a full practice all but confirms that. With eight touchdowns over his past three games, Nix is breaking out as a passer in addition to his rushing output. He will remain on the QB1/2 border for his upcoming bout with the Browns on Monday Night Football.

Thursday’s practice was just a walkthrough, given that Nix and the Broncos don’t play until Monday. There was no mention of an injury to the rookie QB after Sunday’s win over the Raiders, so we’ll assume this is a minor issue for now.

Nix picked apart an exploitable Raiders coverage unit from start to finish. His two touchdown tosses give Nix eight touchdowns over the past three games after running cold on touchdowns in the season’s first couple months. Nix’s rushing has continued to dry out, however, removing some of his fantasy upside. Almost half of Nix’s attempts against Vegas went to Courtland Sutton and Devaughn Vele, who combined for 177 yards and two scores on the day. Nix continues to impress on his way to a potential Rookie of the Year win. He’ll have a much tougher Week 13 matchup against a Browns defense allowing the NFL’s seventh lowest drop back success rate.