Raiders TE Brock Bowers setting records; Broncos QB Bo Nix searching for answers

It’s only two games, but Bo Nix has gotten off to a rough start in Denver.

Nix, the sixth quarterback drafted in April and taken with the 12th overall pick, had 45 touchdowns against three interceptions last year at Oregon. After two NFL games, he already has four interceptions, with no touchdown passes.

He’s far from the only problem in Denver — he’s the team’s leading rusher, with 60 yards in two games — but it’s a disappointing start after what seemed like a promising preseason. Take away screens and dump-offs, and Nix is 11-for-36 (31%) with four interceptions on passes thrown more than five yards downfield.

And if there’s a plus to drafting a 24-year-old who was a five-year starter in college, you should expect a maturity that comes with answering questions after wins and losses. But asked by a reporter to “take us through the interception in the end zone” after Sunday’s loss, Nix was glib.

“Uh, yeah,” he said. “Um, dropped back, threw it to the other team.”

You can’t expect Nix to have all the answers yet, but how he handles himself is important. If he’s protecting a teammate in his answer, there are still better ways to frame that. Plenty of great quarterbacks had rough starts to their careers. Peyton Manning had six interceptions in his first two games. Matthew Stafford had five.

Nix ranks 31st among NFL quarterbacks in passer rating, ahead of only newly benched Bryce Young in Carolina. He’s only one spot below Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick who’s also off to a rough start. But if the Broncos have eyes on challenging for a wild card, they’ll need more from Nix — and quickly. On plays inside the Pittsburgh 30 on Sunday, he was 2-for-6 for 15 yards and that end-zone interception.

“We need to be better around him,” coach Sean Payton said after Sunday’s loss. “Listen, this guy has been through it. It would be different if he had not.”

Bowers stepping up immediately

Raiders tight end Brock Bowers has been a surefire NFL prospect since his freshman…


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Publish date : 2024-09-18 12:33:08

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