Broncos

Broncos QB Bo Nix threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns in their Week 15 win over the Packers. Nix credits his success to working “really well” with HC Sean Payton.

“We are just working really well off each other,” Nix said, via Jeff Legwold of ESPN. “[Payton] trusts me, and I can tell by the way he is calling it. My job is to turn around and protect him and keep his call safe. We talk about playcalling intent a lot as a quarterback room. Take the intent, and what does he want on this play? At the end of the day, you have to protect it.”

Broncos WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey praised Nix for his playmaking ability. 

“He’s a great player,” Humphrey said. “He knows how to make plays with his feet. He can sling it. You just see it come to fruition. Everybody is saying it now. That’s what we’ve been saying for a year.”

Payton said he has worked on “adapting and learning” to Nix’s skillset and called the quarterback “refreshing” as a player. 

“[It’s] adapting and learning,” Payton said. “Remember, for 15 years I had one personality [in Brees], and they couldn’t be more different just from a personality standpoint. … It’s learning [Nix] and [adjusting to] him smiling even when we’re down. I mean, there’s just a competitive nature about him that’s refreshing.”

Chargers

Chargers DE Odafe Oweh has made an immediate impact since being acquired from the Ravens, recording seven sacks in nine games. Oweh feels like DC Jesse Minter‘s defense has unlocked him. 

“This team has afforded me the opportunity to just be free, be me,” Oweh said, via Daniel Popper of The Athletic. “They trust me. They believe in me.”

Minter points out that having skilled edge rushers like Oweh and Khalil Mack allows them to drop more people into coverage. 

“What wins in this league on passing downs is the ability to affect the quarterback,” Minter said. “Some teams do it by designing super well-designed blitzes and all that stuff. I think there’s times where you got to do that. I really think most people would say that if you can get the pressure that you want with four and cover the guys that are out there, that’s harder to go against.”

Chargers DL Tuli Tuipulotu highly praised Mack and Oweh, saying both players push quarterbacks straight to him. 

“We have two great edge rushers, and sometimes the quarterback just falls in your lap,” Tuipulotu said.

• Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh said S R.J. Mickens (shoulder) “could miss time” and did not practice on Wednesday, per Kris Rhim. 
• Harbaugh mentioned that S Elijah Molden (hamstring) and OT Trey Pipkins (ankle) were limited in Wednesday’s practice. 

Chiefs

Chiefs VP of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder said that QB Patrick Mahomes could be in line to return by the start of next season.

“Every player is different. Every sport is different. Every position is different,” Burkholder said, via ESPN. “[Mahomes] is so in tune to what he does, he does it a little quicker. Ballpark on this is nine months, but it could be a month or two more, a month or two less.”

Chiefs QB Gardner Minshew is taking over under center for the team in Mahomes’ absence.

“Quick turnaround from a very emotional game, and obviously the situation with Pat, the situation with our team’s playoff picture,” he said. “But you know what? You are where you’re at. We have to turn this around and get a win this weekend.”

Chiefs HC Andy Reid said he’s spoken with Mahomes daily since suffering his knee injury and is confident in him coming back strong next year.

“He’s so positive right now,” Reid said. “Like Rick said, he attacked this thing the day of. You wouldn’t expect anything less. ‘Get me up, get me going,’ he’s basically saying, an hour after the game. ‘Brace me up and let me go.’ It’s not one of those injuries, obviously, but that’s his mindset. I think he’ll do great with the rehab. He’s a pretty fast healer that way. And his attitude is 90% of things, how you go about it. How you’re willing to push through the pain to get right.“