If you want to say the Denver Broncos‘ offense is fixed after a 30-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7, ESPN’s Dan Graziano is here to pour a bucket of cold water on your head.
The biggest reason Broncos fans should be excited is embattled quarterback Bo Nix, who shook off what seemed like a never-ending stream of criticism with a huge game — including a 62-yard touchdown run that seemed to answer questions about his surgically repaired ankle.
Maybe not, though.
“It was awesome for Nix to look as good as he did Sunday, especially on the long touchdown run,” Graziano wrote. “Nix’s legs are critical to his success, and if he’s gaining confidence in them as he gets further removed from his ankle injury, that’s totally fair. But guys, Sunday was the fifth time this season the Cardinals have allowed 30 or more points in a game. They’ve played seven games. Denver’s 30 points is actually only the fifth most a Cardinals opponent has scored in a game this season. The only two teams that didn’t get to 30 against Arizona are the only two who lost to the Cardinals. Again, good for Nix and the Broncos to score a ton of points against a defense that gives up a ton of points. But let’s see it again next week against the Chiefs before we get too excited.”
Bo Nix Called ‘Brilliant’ for Play Against Arizona
Not everyone held back on the praise for Nix, who finished 15-of-29 passing for 229 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions, plus 73 rushing yards on 7 carries.
The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider called Nix “brilliant” for his performance against the Cardinals, which improved the Broncos to 5-2.
“Nix needed a play like the one he made Sunday afternoon in the desert, an audacious 62-yard sprint into the end zone that lit the fuse on Denver’s 30-16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium,” Kosmider wrote on Monday. “It was a play that provided a needed reminder — to fans, to teammates, to Nix himself — of the quarterback’s ability as a playmaker. It was a play that gave a jolt to a Denver offense that finally teased explosive potential while putting up 377 yards, its highest total since Week 2.”
Bo Nix Playing for Massive Payday in 2027
Nix is playing for his future with the Broncos — every game is a referendum on whether the team will hand him what would be the largest contract in franchise history.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the odds seem to favor the Broncos choosing not to invest in a long-term future with Nix, who is in the third season of his 4-year, $18.6 million rookie contract and eligible for a contract extension for the first time after this season
“Denver is good enough to keep winning despite Nix showing a limited ceiling,” Fowler wrote on October 22. “He is a quality starter but is not poised to enter the upper echelon. Confidence appears to be an issue this season, raising questions about what this player-team marriage looks like long term.”
Broncos Warned Against ‘Overreaction’ to Bo Nix’s Breakout Game