Things didn’t go the way the Denver Broncos wanted them to in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season, as they lost to Seattle on the road 26-20. They actually managed to cover the number that closed at +/-6 in the game, so they didn’t really perform below expectations. All eyes were on Denver’s rookie QB Bo Nix in this game, who made his NFL debut after becoming a superstar signal-caller for the Oregon Ducks in college not too far away from Seattle.
The results for Nix were quite mixed for his first game. He threw the ball 42 times, which was by far and away the most of the three starting rookie QBs from the weekend. In those attempts, he managed 26 completions, which actually is pretty good for a first time player. However, he somehow only generated just 138 yards on that many dropbacks, which is pretty crazy. He also threw two interceptions that cost his team, so there are plenty of kinks that he is going to have to work out moving forward.
However, one of the biggest surprises was how effectively he used his legs against the Seahawks defense. Nix is not known as a true running quarterback, with just 54 attempts for 234 yards in 14 games at Oregon last year, but you wouldn’t think that if you just watched him on Sunday. In fact, he turned on the jets and clocked in at 20.05 MPH on one of his scrambles. That was the fastest recorded speed of any player outside of a WR in Week 1. Nix got 35 total yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown, which led his team.
As you can see from that stat, he didn’t really get a lot of help from his running backs if they couldn’t muster more than 35 yards. As a rookie, I would expect Nix to scramble quite a bit when he doesn’t find an open receiver right away. Many of these new guys will be quick to cut and run the first chance they get, and pocket passing takes time to master in the NFL. Clearly, Nix has the speed to be an effective dual-threat QB.
The question will be if head coach Sean Payton will design some plays for him to scramble with the ball. There is an obvious risk factor that comes with that, and Nix doesn’t have a ton of experience rushing either, so fumbles are likely if he continues to see action on the ground. However, in the right circumstances, he has certainly proven that he can get the job done there if needed.
He’ll face a very tough Pittsburgh defense this weekend that will be very difficult to run against, so I will be curious to see what BetMGM sets his rushing yardage total at after that performance last Sunday. He is seemingly in play, though, so when you’re crafting up your bet slips, keep an eye on his rushing yardage total.
Bet NFL at BetMGM now! CLICK HERE, sign up for a new BetMGM account, make your first deposit and redeem up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets!