The Broncos are not considering a pocket change. But Bo Nix must change how he operates in the pocket.
You cannot rank 27th in ESPN’s quarterback ratings and harbor delusions of adequacy.
Bo knows he must improve. Of course, this season will be graded on a curve. Patience and perspective are required in his evaluation.
However, the quarterback is not blameless while guiding an offense that cannot find the end zone with Google Maps.
First, context is required. Coach Sean Payton has failed Nix. Nix has averaged 44 drop backs, an indefensible number for a rookie.
The offense looks nothing like the one featured in the preseason or the scrimmage against the Packers. That attack included tilts to Nix’s college strengths with run-pass-options, quarterback runs and naked bootlegs with one progression reads.
What we saw in the first half against the Steelers reflected an approach so conservative that punting seemed the goal. The opposite unfurled in the second half with repeated deep shots. Are there no shades of gray?
If I had known Payton was going to throw the ball relentlessly, I would have advocated Jarrett Stidham start and let him wear it for the first month against four former defensive coordinators working as head coaches.
The genie is not taking Ozempic to squeeze back into the bottle. This is Nix’s job, his season, as it should be. But even in the absence of playmakers – please start running back Tyler Badie and use Javonte Williams as a third-down back vs. Tampa Bay – Nix needs to take steps forward.
There are things he can control that are not related to the scheme and his teammates. It starts in the pocket.
He has to get better. Nix gained the coaching staff’s trust with his ability to correct mistakes. It is time to start seeing that player. Watching the film of the first two games, Nix is not showing the pocket awareness anticipated.
“The No. 1 thing he can do to help this offense is step up in the pocket. He’s feeling the rush and doesn’t understand that there is safety in the pocket even when pressure is coming from all angles,” Super Bowl 50 champion offensive Ryan Harris said. “It’s tough. But he can definitely do it.”
There are multiple instances where the pocket reveals issues. Against Seattle, Nix took shorter drops than expected – three steps instead of five – leading to timing issues as he waited for receivers to get open. This led to his feet moving too much, affecting his throwing mechanics from the ground up. He also drifted backward, which bought time on Saturdays, but guarantees sinkholes on Sundays.
Against the Steelers, Nix took a pair of sacks that were avoidable. In the first quarter, he needed to stand tall in the pocket and get rid of the ball when hitting his back foot. He looked like he saw a ghost, not uncommon in a second start, as he went down without being hit. And when T.J. Watt swatted his leg later in the game, Nix fell, representing a missed opportunity to step up in the pocket.
The 24-year-old has shown glimpses of getting into rhythm. He absorbed a big hit when driving a ball downfield to Josh Reynolds, staying on his spot. And his back shoulder pass to Reynolds against Seattle represented his best this season.
As he becomes more comfortable with what the defense is doing – it would help if Payton gets the play in quicker so Nix breaks the huddle with more than 10 seconds on the play clock – he should be able to trust his eyes.
This will allow him to manipulate the pocket to create time to get to the secondary routes in his progression that show up as open on film.
Nix understands the challenge and the importance of this nuance in his development.
“I think I’ve been fortunate to play in a lot of different kinds of pockets. Some clean, some unclean. Sometimes I have to get on the move, sometimes you have all day. It kind of depends on the situation to be honest with you. Each team I’ve played with has had all the above. Moving forward, it’s just playing with what the defense gives you,” Nix said Wednesday. “Every once in a while, you feel a clean pocket and you sit in there and you make a throw. Sometimes they bring an extra guy, and you can’t block them, and you have to stay in there and still make a throw. Sometimes you have to escape, so it’s the happy medium of the quarterback position.”
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Nix is correct, but must demonstrate it. The NFL is like advancing from algebra to calculus. Nix was sacked five times in each of his final two college seasons, while completing 75 percent of his passes. In his first two weeks, Nix has been sacked four times, completing 11 of 36 passes for 212 yards and four interceptions on passes of more than five yards downfield, according to The Ringer.
There are multiple layers to this misery from a struggling offensive line to an anemic run game. But Nix has not been consistent in the pocket. And this is where NFL games are won.
His athleticism will benefit him on scrambles, draws and runs. Climbing, staying centered and moving slightly left or right is more important. It will calm his mind, slow his heart rate and create better ball security.
It is new, uncomfortable and difficult. But there is money in the deep pocket, and time for Nix to start cashing in.
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