As frustrating as it can be to make mistakes during a game, having to face the music later in the week might be even worse. The Denver Broncos lost a brutal matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3, their second week in a row losing on a walk-off field goal.
Every loss tells a different story, and the loss against the Chargers included a number of missed throws from quarterback Bo Nix, borderline throws that were just off his receivers' fingertips. Nix was even caught on camera during the game, lamenting his missed chances.
But after having time to digest it, and undoubtedly knowing he would face questions about the throws when he met with the media, Nix offered some important perspective when it comes to missing opportunities in a game like we saw against the Chargers.
Bo Nix reflects on missed chances in Broncos' tough loss vs. Chargers
“I’m in a great spot. I feel like I’m always going to leave plays out there. That’s why I’m going to keep stepping back up to the podium and have an answer for them. Ultimately, you want to go out there and hit every single one of them. I’ve yet to actually play a game where I have hit all of them, so I’m working on that. I feel confident that one day I can go out there and do it. That may be crazy on my part, but I truly believe it.
I know that the team, the locker room has got my back in there. We’re all looking to find that rhythm and the right spots where we’re playing really good, being really efficient offensively. And the good thing is that we have a lot of those mentalities in the locker room to where tight ends, receivers, offensive line—we’re all working on being as efficient as possible. I think we’re in a really good spot mentally..."
- Broncos QB Bo Nix (via team PR)
Nix talked about the fact that he's not going to shy away from throwing the ball down field. Like a good shooter in basketball, like a good hitter in baseball, or like a good golfer, you're not going to shy away just because you might have barely missed a couple of opportunities.
Certainly, the idea that Nix isn't a franchise quarterback is a ridiculous one at this point. Nobody knows what the future holds for Nix, but he's just 20 games into his NFL career and has already been one of the best quarterbacks the Broncos have ever had, statistically speaking.
Nix has given Broncos fans every reason to be patient with his progress. There are always going to be adjustments being made by defenses. Your teammates change. Your opponents change. Your coaches change. So much of the NFL is staying strong with the winds of change constantly swirling.
Nix has to find a way to get his game to the next level, and one tough game against the Chargers is not proof -- by any stretch -- that he can't do exactly that. He's coming off of one of the best rookie seasons for a quarterback in NFL history. He's got plenty of time to hit those plays we saw come open in Los Angeles.
The urgency is there for the Broncos to win. The urgency is there for Nix to become a star. Progress, however, doesn't always happen on everyone's expected timeline. Nix's confidence is not shaken, but if anything, the abundance of questions on top of the concern from the fan base over his start to the season can be a big chip on his shoulder.