Bo Nix superb as Broncos defeat Carolina

DENVER — Bo Nix just put himself in the Rookie of the Year discussion.

At the near-halfway point of the season, Nix put on a passing performance that should make even Jayden Daniels’ supporters take notice. The Broncos’ rookie quarterback was never better while leading Denver to a 28-14 victory against the Carolina Panthers on a gorgeous late-October Sunday afternoon at Empower Field at Mile High.

“We’re still not playing our best football,” said Broncos’ head coach Sean Payton. “But like I said at the onset, pleased we got the win.”

The Broncos improved to 5-3 while woebegone Carolina fell to 1-7.

Payton seemed irked the Broncos were leading 28-7 and had driven down to the Carolina 1 yard line late in the fourth quarter when receiver Courtland Sutton fumbled. Carolina drove 98 yards the other way to score a consolation touchdown with 18 seconds remaining.

Instead of winning 35-7, a score that would have been reflected of the Broncos’ dominance, there was a meaningless, 14-point swing in the final minutes that made the final score of 28-14 seem like it was a competitive game.

“The most important thing is, they’re expectations can’t be lower than mine,” Payton said. “As players. I said to them we’re going to play in bigger games than this. In bigger games than this some of those mistakes are going to cost us. So we’ve got to take care of that.”

It was calm, 77 degrees and partly cloudy and Nix took advantage of the ideal conditions. Who out there was worried about Nix’s passing efficiency as he missed his share of open downfield receivers through the Broncos’ first seven games? (Cough! Cough!) The Broncos’ No. 12 overall draft pick answered critics Sunday by completing 28 of 37 for a robust 284 yards, three touchdowns and a 124.2 passer rating.

Nix was a rushing star in the Broncos’ previous two games but there were periods when his passing was off. Is it more satisfying as a quarterback to have a big passing game like he had against the Panthers?

“It’s more satisfying to win,” Nix said. “So whatever that means for a quarterback. If I go out there and throw for zero yards and we can win the game I’ll be the happiest guy in the locker room. That’s not being complacent. That’s just having the perspective this is a tough league and it’s not always easy to go out there and throw for a lot of yard; it’s also not easy to run for a lot of yards. You just have to find ways to get yards.”

Daniels, the Washington Commanders’ No. 2 overall draft pick, is the prohibitive favorite to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. And his odds may have increased after his Hail Mary game-winning touchdown pass to beat the Bears on Sunday.

But Daniels better finish strong because Nix is coming on.

“For a rookie quarterback, I think all of these are steps,” Payton said. “Confidence steps. We’ve seen it. The key is, and I’ve said it, around him. Are we good enough at these other positions around him? Today we were better on third downs, better in the red zone. Two receiver fumbles … It bothers you.”

Who was wondering why Sutton, the Broncos’ top receiver, had zero targets much less a catch in last week’s 33-10 win at New Orleans last week? Sutton had seven catches for 93 yards at halftime and finished with 8 catches for 100 yards, although he fumbled the ball away at the Carolina 1 yard line following his last catch. Sutton also had a 28-yard pass completion to fullback Michael Burton late in the fourth quarter that drew the ire of some Panther players, most especially cornerback Jaycee Horn, who thought Payton was trying to run up the score.

“I coached his father,” Payton said, referring to former Saints’ receiver Joe Horn. “So I was yelling back at him. I don’t know what the exchange was but his father I enjoyed coaching. He was frustrated, I think he was yelling at one of our other players. I like him, he’s a good player.”

How many people thought the Broncos weren’t getting enough out of their tight ends? (Again, hands up.) Adam Trautman had four catches for 85 yards and a touchdown at halftime.

“It’s good when you’re number gets called to make a play,” Trautman said. “That’s how you get more opportunities. I did feel moreso involved in the pass game this week, just more 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) out there in passing situations.”

Nix’s best performance of his still very young NFL career came at a good time as the Broncos needed a pick-me-up after a sluggish first quarter.

There was only one way the Broncos, who were 10.5-point favorites against the 1-6 Panthers, could lose this game: Turnovers.

Don’t turn the ball over and Carolina wasn’t strong enough to beat the 4-3 Broncos.

So what happens on the first series of the game? Broncos’ receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey fumbled the ball away at midfield.

The Panthers did a nice play-mix to move to first and goal at the 7. On third-and-goal from the 7, Carolina’s beleaguered quarterback Bryce Young threw a strike to the end zone to first-round rookie receiver Xavier Legette, who beat Pat Surtain II on a slant for a touchdown.

It was 7-0 Panthers after the first quarter. 

“We can’t keep turning the ball over,” Payton said in his opening, postgame press conference remarks. That’s frustrating. And I don’t like how it finished. But it’s good to get a win.”

Encouraging for the Broncos, though, was the precision passing of Nix. He threw a 23-yard, in-route dime to Sutton, and a 38-yard completion off a roll right to Trautman on the final play of the first quarter. Sutton and Trautman seemed to be running free the entire first half against the Ejiro Evero-coached Carolina defense.  

“This is a (Carolina) team that will play some base defense to your nickel,” Payton said. “So they’ll be a little heavier in the box.”

Light in coverage, heavy in the box. That explains why the Broncos threw it well but struggled to run it in the first half.

On third and goal from the 3, Nix rolled left and threw a fastball to tight end Nate Adkins, who corralled the ball a couple yards into the left end zone for his first career touchdown catch.

It was 7-7 with 12:29 left in the second quarter.

When the Broncos got the ball back, Nix went 37 yards to Sutton on a crossing route, left to right, and 17 to Trautman on a sideline route. The back-to-back aerial plays moved the ball to the Carolina 24. One play later, Nix hit Trautman on a seam route, a perfectly thrown ball over a linebacker, and a terrific one-handed catch by the tight end in the end zone.

It was 14-7 and the Broncos were on their way.

“It was well-covered but the ball was high, over him,” Trautman said. “It was a great throw, kind of stuck to my glove.”

At that point, Nix was 15 of 17 for 177 yards with two touchdown passes to tight ends for an outstanding 149.3 passer rating.

Carolina first-year head coach Dave Canales, sensing the game was getting away from his underdog team, went for it on fourth and 2 from his own 49 with 4:46 left in the half. A swing pass to running back Miles Sanders, though, was stopped by Surtain.

The Broncos had a short field to travel for their third touchdown of the second quarter. Again, Nix smartly moved the fine-blocking offense to third and goal on the 1, from where he leaped over center Alex Forsyth and extended the ball over the goal-line plane.

It was 21-7 Broncos with 1:12 left in the half.

Canales wasn’t done taking high-risk gambles that failed. Midway through the third quarter, and the score still 21-7, Canales called for a fake punt with the ball on his own 24 yard line, fourth and six. The pass from punter Johnny Hekker would have been enough for a first down, but he threw it wild, high and outside and the Broncos had gift starting field position at the Panthers’ 24.

Runs by Javonte and Jaleel set up first and goal at the 9. Nix swung a quick pass right to Jaleel McLaughlin, who scampered down the right side for the touchdown.

It was 28-7 Broncos with 6:49 left in the third quarter.

The Broncos now confront what looks to be the most difficult part of their schedule with back-to-back road games at Baltimore next Sunday, followed by at Kansas City and the 7-0 Chiefs.

“Look we have a big game this week against a much better team,” Payton said. 

Nik Bonitto registered a sack in his sixth consecutive game. That hasn’t been done since Von Miller in 2018, and is tied for the third-best sack streak in Broncos history. Simon Fletcher had a sack in eight consecutive games in 1991 and then a 10-game sack streak in 1992-93. …

Surtain got his third interception of the season. Ja’Quan McMillian came up with a trmendous interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter. …

Safety Brandon Jones was by far the Broncos’ leading tackler with 12. Next were Riley Moss and Justin Strnad with six tackles each. …

The Broncos’ running game started wearing down the Carolina defense in the second half. McLaughlin led the team with 47 yards off just eight carries. Javonte Williams had 44 yards rushing on 17 carries.  Nix was held to 4 yards on five carries. Rookie running back Audric Estime, who has been fighting fumble issues, had one carry for 4 yards.

The Panthers had four former Broncos players – Josey Jewell, DeShawn Williams, Jonathan Harris and Thomas Incoom – and five former coaches – Dom Capers, Ejiro Evero, Pat McPherson, Peter Hansen and Bert Watts – involved in the game Sunday. …

Broncos who were inactive Sunday included starting safety P.J. Locke, who has a thumb injury, tight end Greg Dulcich, who was a healthy scratch, and top offensive tackle Alex Palczewski, who missed his third consecutive game with a high ankle sprain.