Strong Optimism Again Abounds for Local Fans; Rookie Bo Nix Winning Early Battle
Trevor Phipps
It’s almost here! In fact, after recently watching pre-season football action, the 2024 NFL season is so close I can taste it.
I couldn’t help but have my face taken over by a huge smile the other weekend when I turned on the TV to watch the Denver Broncos out on the gridiron for the first time in 2024. Even though I don’t normally get too excited about watching pre-season games that mean absolutely nothing, this year was different.
With my beloved Broncos going through yet another drastic change during the off-season, fans like me can only be excited about what is yet to come. Thankfully (in my opinion) Ol’ Rusty (Former Broncos QB Russell Wilson) has finally hit the road and now he has Pittsburgh Steelers’ fans to disappoint.
At first I experienced some anxiety after Wilson gladly packed his bags and headed east, because the uncertainty during the months, following the 2023 season, was quite brutal. The team failed to make any big moves during the off-season as many (including myself) thought that Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton would pull a trick out of his sleeve and make a move to secure a solid veteran quarterback.
But, as we all waited, nothing happened. Finally, when draft time came around most of us knew that the Broncos’ head honchos had some sort of plan, but they were keeping their lips zipped.
And then when Payton made the rather unexpected moving of securing six-year NCAA rookie quarterback Bo Nix, all things changed. Broncos’ fans now had hope that this rookie who played great behind center during six seasons in college with two different teams, could be the key to a successful future.
But once practice started, the coaching staff made it clear that there would be a quarterback competition to see who would be taking snaps during the Broncos’ first regular season game on the road against the Seattle Seahawks on September 8. For the past few weeks at Dove Valley, veteran quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson have been going head-to-head up against the rookie Nix to see who can perform well enough to earn the coveted QB1 spot.
In early August, I attended a practice session and I must say I liked what I saw. The team seemed to be full of energy, especially with the large number of younger players currently on the team.
However, it’s hard to get much out of these practice sessions because the players don’t really do much. But I was focusing all of my attention on the section of the field where the team’s three quarterbacks were busy running drills.
All three of the QBs looked pretty good from what I saw, but rookie Bo Nix definitely stood out above the rest. During practice I noticed how he blasted quickly from the center with the ball. Then after seeing his scrambling movements during mock plays, I said to myself, “This kid really does have some legs.”
Nix’s accuracy and ability to scan the field was also quickly noticed. All of the things Payton and others have said about Nix, as far as him having a high “Football IQ” and being able to catch on quick to new offensive schemes, was quickly noticed.
Now I know that it is difficult to really tell how a player or team is going to perform during practice or even preseason games, but I have liked what I have seen during both. During the Broncos first preseason game, Nix continued to show me what I saw in practice in playing against an actual opponent.
I saw him quickly leave the center and scan the field. When a defensive lineman would break past the line, Nix would scramble and prevent getting sacked. This is something that Ol’ Rusty definitely struggled with in his two seasons with the Broncos.
Even though Nix did have a couple of underthrown passes and a fumble, I think those mistakes are things that he can eventually work out. Overall, I am not saying Nix is the best QB I have ever seen, but what I did see was potential. This is a trait that has been lacking on the Broncos team for the past few seasons.
After watching the other two QBs I liked what I saw from Zach Wilson and I feel he also has potential to perform well under Coach Payton. However, the performance exhibited by veteran QB Jarrett Stidham did not impress me the slightest bit.
Stidham looked stale during the first pre-season game just like he did when he started at the tail end of last year. I can only hope that Stidham doesn’t get the starting spot.
But only time can tell as many changes with the roster will still happen before the big season opener on Sept. 8. I will just continue my optimism as I patiently watch the rest of the preseason which wraps up this Sunday when the Broncos take on the Arizona Cardinals at home at 2:30 p.m.
