Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a respectable game against the Baltimore Ravens last week, but he struggled on deep throws, failing to connect with fellow rookie Troy Franklin once again.
“I thought he did well [overall],” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Nix’s performance in Baltimore. “I think there were some plays certainly he would’ve wished he had back. He just missed Troy on a Cover Zero check, and there’s still so many learning moments for him. In other words, each week is another class for another test, and I like the way he’s progressing. I like the poise after each series and after the game. You feel his maturity.”
This week, Nix and Co. will travel to face the Kansas City Chiefs on the road. The quarterback was asked about his (lack of) connection with Franklin during his media availability earlier this week.
“I think with me and him right now, it’s just a level of overthinking it a little bit I think,” Nix said. “The pressure and the ambition of, ‘We’ve already done it. We have to do it again. It should be easy for us.’ That’s not the case. You’re going against different guys. You’re playing in a different system. You’re thinking a little bit too much. I’m also not going to make excuses. We have to hit them when they’re open.
“We practice well. We do a good job of making sure we get the reps in practice, and I think it’s only a matter of time before the explosives and the big ones are being hit again. It’s good to be able to have those other guys like ‘Court’ and all those guys to make explosive plays at the same time. You can really kind of spread the ball out and distribute it well. I just think we have to stop overthinking it.”
Nix and Franklin were teammates at Oregon from 2022-2023, but their chemistry has not yet translated to the NFL. We’ll see if that changes this week.
Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV map). Playing at home, KC is considered a heavy favorite against the Broncos.