When the Denver Broncos took the field at Empower Stadium at Mile High for their AFC Divisional Round game against the Buffalo Bills, the team relied on Bo Nix and Troy Franklin to make plays on offense.
The quarterback and wide receiver have a great chemistry, and it has been built over the years. After all, Nix and Franklin spent time together playing for the Oregon Ducks.
Bo Nix, Troy Franklin Go Back To College Days
Nix, who was seen warming up before the Broncos-Bills showdown, played his final two college football seasons in Oregon after starting his college career with the Auburn Tigers.
Nix came out firing against Buffalo, completing his first five passes. At Oregon, Nix completed 74.9% percent of his passes and finished in third in Heisman Trophy voting in 2023.
Bo Nix prepping for his second playoff appearance.
BUFvsDEN– 4:30pm ET on CBS/Paramount+
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As for Franklin, he played three seasons with the Ducks. In that time, he caught 160 passes for 2,483 yards and 25 touchdown receptions. A lot of those came from Nix targeting Franklin downfield.
Now, they are going to work together to try and get Denver into next Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
How did Nix look during the regular season? Pretty good, as a matter of fact. According to the PFSN NFL QB Impact Metric, measured throughout the regular season, the Broncos quarterback had an impact score of 78.6 and graded out to a C+. In the regular season, Nix had a 63.4% pass completion percentage with 3,931 passing yards.
Nix had 25 touchdown passes along with 11 interceptions while playing for Denver under head coach Sean Payton. He averaged 231.2 passing yards per game in the regular season. Additionally, Nix has shown a knack for being a dual-threat quarterback with his legs, as he also had 83 rushing attempts for 356 yards and five rushing touchdowns.
What about Franklin? According to the PFSN NFL WR Impact Metric, he had an impact score of 76.2 and graded out to a C. In the regular season, Franklin had 65 catches for 709 yards and six touchdown catches. He averaged 6.8 yards per pass and 41.7 receiving yards per game when targeted by Nix.
The Broncos know this tandem has a long history together. Should Nix need to make a connection during the AFC Divisional Round game, then Franklin might get a look from him. However, it’s not going to be easy, though, to knock off the Bills on Saturday.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
