Potential to Production: Bo Nix Positioned to Shine in Second Season

The Denver Broncos believe they have their franchise quarterback in Bo Nix, and after a strong rookie season, there is no reason to doubt it. As Nix prepares to start his second season, the question is: What steps will he take to develop his skills further? 

Despite a strong rookie season, multiple facets of his game left a lot to be desired. There were some issues with operating a true drop-back passing game and attacking the intermediate areas of the field. 

There are high expectations for Nix and the Broncos for the upcoming season, which leads to the question: Can Nix develop enough to be in the MVP race and lead the Broncos on a playoff run? Those are lofty expectations for both Nix and the team, but neither is beyond the realm of possability. 

The two issues Nix had last year, as stated, were in a true drop-back passing game and attacking the intermediate area of the field. Sure, there were other issues, but those were the two biggest, and what made them the biggest is that they were reflected in the offensive play-calling. 

When executing the true drop-back passing game, there were opportunities left on the field, as well as mistakes made by Nix in his decision-making. While he didn’t have an exorbitant amount of interceptions thrown, most of them came from this aspect of the offense. 

Additionally, multiple miscues with timing and placement weren’t turnovers, resulting in yards left on the field, some of which were drive-ending plays. So, if Nix can cut down on those, there is a good chance for more yards and touchdowns with fewer interceptions. 

These issues primarily became apparent when working in the intermediate area of the field, where his placement was consistently off, leading Sean Payton to abandon those plays in the playbook practically. That trimmed the playbook significantly, and Nix was only able to hit them consistently on roll-out plays, leading to a higher number of designed roll-outs than most teams. 

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with Payton playing to Nix's strengths, especially during his rookie season, and avoiding areas that were a concern for him. However, when taking the next step, the key for quarterbacks is to improve in places where they have weaknesses. 

Highlighting the issues of the intermediate area of the field is the fact that Nix had the seventh-lowest percentage of throws to the intermediate area of the field. Less than 20% of his throws went to that area, but his 8.5% turnover-worthy play percentage was the highest, indicating that his attempts were inefficient. 

Of Nix’s 12 interceptions, seven of them came in the intermediate area of the field, which is tied for the third most in the NFL. Drops were also an issue, as Nix had the third-highest drop percentage in that area, but his adjusted completion percentage, which excludes drops, was still the seventh-worst. 

What doesn’t help Nix with the issues in the intermediate area of the field is the problems with attacking the deep portion of the field. Nix was inconsistent in that range, though those issues are not only Nix’s fault. 

To be a high-powered offense and be a quarterback in the MVP race, you can’t have issues attacking deep and intermediate. Other quarterbacks, including Patrick Mahomes, had problems working the intermediate area of the field, but they were more consistent when attacking the deep portion of the field. 

So, can Nix find himself in the MVP race? Sure, even though that may seem like lofty expectations, Nix showed enough last year that he could be a sleeper MVP candidate. However, if he wants to win it or even be in the race, then he needs to improve on those issues to take his game to the next level.