September 21st 2024.
To all the passionate fans of the Denver Broncos, I urge you to take a deep breath and give rookie quarterback Bo Nix some room to grow. I know it's been a rough start for him, especially after generating so much excitement during training camp and two impressive preseason games. But let's not hit the panic button just yet. Yes, the numbers don't lie and Nix's 384 passing yards, four interceptions, and zero touchdowns are not something to boast about. However, it's important to remember that he is still a first-year starting quarterback, just like his fellow rookies Jayden Daniels of Washington and Caleb Williams of Chicago. In fact, these three young quarterbacks have made history by throwing a combined 196 passes without a single touchdown, according to Opta Stats.
It's true that none of these rookies have set the league on fire as some may have expected when they were drafted in April, but we shouldn't be too quick to judge. Instead, let's have some patience. As Nix, Daniels, and Williams work on improving their individual performances, they have also been thrown into organizations that have their own set of challenges. One common issue they have all faced is the lack of protection from their offensive line. Next Gen Stats show that they have been pressured a total of 92 times, with Chicago and Denver ranking fourth and fifth in the league for most pressures allowed. Williams has even been sacked nine times, tying for the most in the league with Gardner Minshew of Las Vegas and Jacoby Brissett of New England. In the Broncos' Week 2 loss to the Steelers, Williams was sacked a whopping seven times and faced a blitz on 41.7% of his dropbacks, resulting in only 3 completions out of 12 attempts for 15 yards and an interception.
Meanwhile, in Washington, it's concerning that Daniels and his top receiver Terry McLaurin haven't been able to establish a strong connection. McLaurin has only caught eight passes for 39 yards in the first two games. Part of the reason for this could be the struggles of the Commanders' offensive line, which has allowed 25 pressures, tied for the 12th most in the league. On top of that, Daniels has the shortest amount of time to throw among all NFL quarterbacks at just 2.33 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats.
Despite these issues, Daniels has managed to be the most successful among the three rookie quarterbacks, throwing for 410 yards and rushing for 132 yards and two scores. On the other hand, Nix has had to deal with not just a weak offensive line, but also an underperforming run game and a lack of separation from his receivers in man coverage. As a result, he has been forced to drop back 88 times, tied for the fourth most in the league. However, Nix and Williams are not completely blameless either. There have been moments where both quarterbacks have looked overwhelmed and tried to force plays that weren't there, resulting in interceptions.
But let's not forget that adjusting to the NFL is no easy feat for any quarterback. Just look at Josh Allen, who threw for 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions as a rookie before becoming a top-five quarterback in the league. Even Jared Goff, a first overall pick in 2016, had a rough start with the Rams, going winless in his first seven starts and throwing for just five touchdowns and seven interceptions. Yet, he went on to throw for 4,688 yards and lead his team to the Super Bowl just two years later.
As head coach Sean Payton puts it, Nix has been through the "firestorm" during his time at Auburn before transferring to Oregon, and he will be better equipped to handle any challenges that come his way. So, let's have faith in him and the rest of the rookie quarterbacks as they continue to develop and adjust to the speed and complexity of the NFL. And to all the die-hard Broncos fans, don't forget to sign up for the Broncos Insider to stay updated on all the latest news and analysis.
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