The Denver Broncos are 9-2, atop the AFC West by two games, and the No. 2 seed in the AFC Conference. So, the No. 1 seed is in range for Denver. The current No. 1 seed, the New England Patriots, are 10-2. That said, the Broncos are in control of their destiny. Because the Patriots have a bye in Week 14, the Broncos have to “just win, baby” the next two weeks for the No. 1 seed. Both teams will be 11-2, and the Broncos have the better conference record.
Bo Nix on the No. 1 Seed in the AFC Conference
Then the Broncos will have to protect the No. 1 seed with four games to go. Quarterback Bo Nix is aware.
He said, “Well, we put ourselves in this position now to put ourselves in that position then. I think the job is definitely not even close to being finished yet, but we have put ourselves in a spot to obtain it, and so that’s part of the journey. You’ve got to put yourself in a situation to get it there at the end and grab hold of it. But it’s right there in front of us. Like I said, you don’t get these opportunities a lot.”
Since Week 9, it appears the Broncos are subtly shifting toward a pass-first offense. Nix has attempted 35-plus passing attempts in two of the past three games, independent of game script. There were growing pains in Week 9 vs. the Houston Texans as Nix totaled a sub-50 completion percentage. But he bounced back in Week 11 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.
Nix’s stats from Week 11 are below.
24-of-37 for 295 yards and a 64.9% completion percentage, eight yards per attempt, and a respectable 89.4 passer rating.
Nix totaled three carries for eight yards as well. The game was impressive because the Chiefs’ defense allowed the 11th-fewest passing yards per game and the eighth-fewest rushing yards per game. So, Nix earned every yard with no help from the ground game. The touchdowns will come.
In fact, it’s a nice setup for Nix in Week 13 vs. the Washington Commanders. The Broncos are No. 15 in PFSN’s Offense Impact Score, while the Commanders are No. 30 in PFSN’s Defense Impact Score as well.