It’s time for the Broncos to stop running from the truth.
Bo Nix is fast. Not by quarterback standards. Whatever the standard. He cannot cross a school zone without getting a ticket. He eclipsed 20 mph on several runs, both racing and designed.
As we reach the halfway point of the season on Sunday, coach Sean Payton has to take a look at the movie playing on the Mile High Jumbotron, “Fast & Curious.”
The prevailing opinion is that Nix was selected in the draft for his accuracy. He set records at Oregon, completing 75 percent of his passes over two seasons. But this school of thought will be put to the test in the coming months.
There’s no way the Broncos will reach the playoffs this season on Nix’s arm alone. He’s not ready. He can get there. But now, as he steps backwards, he stumbles.
In quarterbacks, their feet are connected to their eyes. Nix bounces because he doesn’t trust what he sees. This caused him to miss on easy throws that, in theory, he will connect on with more experience.
But while he refines his arm mechanics, the Broncos can’t neglect his legs. There is a perception that running quarterbacks can’t win. A quarterback has never held the Vince Lombardi Trophy unless we bend the rules for Russell Wilson and Steve Young. Nix understands that and told me earlier this week that he considers the dual-threat label a compliment “as long as they also give you credit for throwing the ball.”
Right now, his arm is a complement to his legs. Nix should improve in the air, but Payton needs to continue using him on the ground. When the coach brought it up this week, he seemed supportive of the idea. Understand, this is not what Payton wants. He loves to pass and win in the pocket. But the way Nix works has been a revelation.
Nix can still go wild when his opponents play man and turn their backs on them. Payton must integrate executions designed with decision flexibility.
“No. 1, he’s fast. I think that’s a little plus, maybe we haven’t necessarily seen as many. We had some design sketches last week, a third pass, a few things of read options things that can help our running game, and he’s smart enough to know how to protect himself,” Payton said. “He’s definitely an asset.”
So much so that it becomes impossible to avoid. He’s athletic enough to get over the hump and faster than defenders think.
“I get that a lot,” Nix admitted.
He has game day speed, running faster when chased than during a timed practice. And there’s every reason to adopt that skill Sunday against the Carolina Kittens. Plagued by injuries and a terrible offense, Ejiro Evero, who is a good coach, leads a defense that ranks last against the run (162.1 yards per game).
Chicago had the Go Go White Sox. Denver has the Go Bo Blue socks.
Do you realize Nix is trying to become the sixth rookie quarterback since the NFL merger to post three consecutive games of at least 60 yards rushing? The list includes two-time MVPs Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Bobby Douglass and Vince Young. You wouldn’t take the career of the top three for Nix?
Sean, it’s time to call more quarterback scores. Bo knows it.
“I think it’s an important part of the game. When you look at the times when it happens and all that kind of stuff, it can be good for an offense. It can be used as a weapon,” Nix said. “That’s why we’re going to continue to use it and just find ways to get explosives with my legs.”
Want more proof? Nix has rushed for 255 yards and has four games with a run of at least 21 yards, including a career-high 32 yards in a sweep against the Saints. As of Week 3, the Broncos rank fifth in the league with 706 rushing yards. Nix accounts for 195.
“It gives us another element to our offense,” receiver Courtland Sutton said. “They must be worried about him.”
Or as left tackle Garett Bolles puts it: “When he gets those open lanes, he’s special.” »
This week, when Browns coordinator Jim Schwartz was discussing it with Jackson, he identified him as a quarterback who runs first and second. Jackson is in his seventh season. The point? It takes time to develop.
Allen completed 56.3 percent of his passes in his first two seasons while totaling 1,141 yards and 17 touchdowns. This created patience.
Nix isn’t as athletic as Allen or Jackson and certainly doesn’t possess their arm strength. However, they provide an intriguing model: it’s okay to execute while figuring out how to succeed.
It makes Broncos country cringe because it conjures up images of Tim Tebow. Nix is not him. Or Tim. Its accuracy of 61.2% ranks 30th. Not good. But there is room to grow. The acorn becomes the tree and all that.
Nix has yet to prove he can throw well enough. But he can win — a fifth victory Sunday would be a rookie record for the Broncos — and protect the ball.
Act therefore in a world of what is, and not of what could be. Nix can trot. This is the truth and this skill must be harnessed if the Broncos want to make the playoffs.
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