Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix set a new franchise record on Sunday by completing 17 consecutive passes to begin a game.
His 17th completion came on what was perhaps an ill-advised throw to tight end Adam Trautman in the end zone. The pass was tipped up into the air by two Kansas City Chiefs defenders and then caught by rookie wide receiver Devaughn Vele just before hitting the ground.
Vele did a brilliant job keeping his feet in bounds and securing the catch before it hit the ground. Funny enough, the receiver actually ran the wrong route before ending up with a touchdown catch.
“aaaaaand CAUGHT. OH MY GOSH. THE DOUBLE DEFLECTION. AND A DENVER TOUCHDOWN.”
– Jim Nantz on the call for the @Broncos WILD TD pic.twitter.com/LMjTrhDytK
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 5, 2025
“The trap was working in the back, and I didn’t quite go far enough for him to catch it, but it was tipped,” Nix said after an eventual 38-0 win. “I think it just goes to show you that even though Vele ran the wrong route, he didn’t give up on the play and showed great effort.
“In my opinion, it’s the effort that matters, and it’s the effort that counts. They say all the time for young guys, especially, it doesn’t matter if you mess up, just do it 100 percent of your effort. That’s what Vele was doing. It actually was perfect. I’m glad he did exactly what he did, and he got a touchdown.”
This image does an amazing job capturing how unlikely the catch was:
DeVaughn Vele (#17) caught this for a touchdown pic.twitter.com/zBTBIu5obw
— Scotty Gange (@Scotty_G6) January 5, 2025
Here is a zoomed-in angle of the amazing catch:
Now THAT’S a tip drill 😱 @Broncos pic.twitter.com/LZAnYvvKPu
— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025
Vele, a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, ended his rookie (regular) season with 41 receptions for 475 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games. The late-round pick appears to have a bright future in Denver.
