I really have no idea what’s going on with the Denver Broncos quarterback battle. I know the national narrative seems to be that rookie Bo Nix is inching closer and closer to winning the starting job. But, if I’ve learned anything from writing about the Tennessee Titans for 11 years now, it’s that the national narrative doesn’t always line up with what’s happening locally. So, I’ll refrain from making some broad-sweeping generalizations about the quarterback battle and instead, I’ll specifically qualify this article by saying simply: I liked what I saw from the kid against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Big Bo Nix guy. pic.twitter.com/r3cvtv14oT
— Stoney Keeley (@StoneyKeeley) August 20, 2024
I was a big fan of Nix coming out of Oregon. He had a rather interesting career trajectory from freshman phenom at Auburn to Tigers fans running him out of town with pitchforks. After transferring to Oregon, Nix steadied his hand, so to speak, and a wealth of experience got him ready for the pros. While scouts came around, clearly, as Nix was the 12th overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, I think fans still hark back to those troubled days at Auburn and hold it against the guy. That’s not Nix anymore. Nix is good.
In my evaluation of Nix for the 2024 Stacking The Inbox NFL Draft Guide, I said there were “two Bo Nixes.” What I meant by that is that the tape showed a guy who played with poise, had sound mechanics, could launch a rocket, drop it in the bucket, and was an underrated wiggle runner extending plays. But, there was another guy who played like he knew he was invincible, would fail to reset his feet on the run, throw off platform, and make a disastrous decision that would result in a turnover. If you think you can rein that Bo Nix in, you’ve got a stud. Clearly, the Broncos thought they could rein that guy in.
As for his performance on Sunday and what I specifically liked about it, it was the good Bo Nix stuff that translated from the Oregon tape to the NFL preseason. There were a few instances of that bad Bo Nix wanting to rear his ugly head. He unnecessarily drifted backwards when facing pressure a couple of times, throwing off his back foot and teetering the line between bold and reckless. But, for the most part, he looked good. The Broncos offense was pretty balanced in terms of run-pass, and Nix handed off in a variety of ways. It looked to me like they were trying to get him reps running as many concepts in the offense as possible and not a specific game plan to attack an opponent’s weakness. It’s the preseason, baby. I very much felt like it was a calculated effort to see if he could run the offense, and to me, he passed with flying colors.
His footwork was pretty calm. I noticed that he tended to hit the last step in his drop and just sink, ready to start his process from a firm base instead of anxious heel-clicking happy feet. He had some good zip on those throws over the middle. There was a fantastic play in the clip above during which Nix threw out the fake pitch, rolled to his right, and threw a dagger right into the throwing window off platform to convert the first down without resetting his feet. Again…that’s teetering the line between bold and reckless, but in this case, he made the right read. He was once again shifty as a runner in the open field. Inexperience might’ve caught up with him on a play during which he took off running and threw what looked like a touchdown only to be penalized because he threw the ball beyond the line of scrimmage. And, there was some nice examples of advanced quarterback play in there too – the touchdown throw specifically comes to mind as he looked left before throwing right to throw off the coverage. Overall, great stuff.
Whether or not Nix can continue to stack good days remains to be seen. And, whether or not he can win that job starting in Week 1 is certainly going to be interesting to watch. But, at the very least, based on what we saw in this game alone, it seems like Nix is playing with a poise and confidence that should demand serious consideration.
If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to The Unofficial Titans Podcast on Apple Podcasts, follow us on Spotify, or wherever you take in your podcasts!
This article is brought to you by Memo’s Mexican Kitchen in Mount Juliet, Tennessee! Memo’s offers a fresh, modern take on the Mexican restaurant just a mile north of I-40 off of the Mount Juliet exit. For my money, they cook up the best quesabirria in town! Check out the full menu on their website and let ’em know SoBros Network sent you.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
SoBros Network and Stacking The Inbox have teamed up for the greatest premium content collaboration in the history of Nashville. Get all of the Tennessee Titans and NFL Draft coverage you need on top of premium SoBros Network content such as The Movie Review Rewind Podcast, Sports Punch, and much more! Only $5/month gets you instant access to an exhaustive content library of articles, podcasts, and videos created exclusively for our subscribers! Sign up on Substack today!
