The Denver Broncos won their first game of the season sans cornerback Pat Surtain II. Against the Texans in Week 9, the Broncos won on a field goal by kicker Wil Lutz that broke a tie as time expired.
In fact, the Broncos scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback, although Nix won’t get credit for a game-winning drive here. The Broncos led in the game earlier, 7-6, so it’s Nix’s fourth come-from-behind win.
Why Is There Meat on the Bone for the Denver Broncos?
Teammate Zach Allen, a 3-4 DE, was ecstatic in the locker room post-game, saying, “We’re happy with where we are, but we still haven’t played our best ball yet … That’s what good teams do and you definitely want that on your side compared to last year when we were trying to find ways to lose close games.”
Allen seemingly puts the rest of the league on notice. If there is meat on the bone, the Broncos are poised for a deep playoff run. Denver is already 7-2 and riding a six-game win streak into Week 10. The Broncos play the Las Vegas Raiders on a short week on “Thursday Night Football.” That said, Denver is also missing Surtain II.
Allen, while on defense, seemed to allude to the offense, though. More specifically, Nix. In the past three games, he has had two four-touchdown games and another game with two touchdowns, an interception, and a sub-70 passer rating. Nix needs consistency so the Broncos don’t stall in the playoffs.
There’s no better illustration of that than Nix’s PFSN QB Impact Score, which is No. 14. He is No. 17 in passing yards per game as well, so there’s room for improvement. And there are enough signs of a franchise quarterback with Nix, as he has totaled 20 total touchdowns through nine games. Time will be our judge.
Elsewhere, the Broncos play the Las Vegas Raiders on a short week in Week 10 on “Thursday Night Football.” It’ll be Nix’s next challenge: to exploit the inefficiency against a porous defense. In other words, Nix should look more like he did in Week 8, and not Week 9, in Week 10. Check out the keys to the game here.