Even though he still threw three touchdown passes on Sunday afternoon against the Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix understands that a three interception game like we saw from him in the team's latest victory simply cannot happen again.
Nix threw two interceptions in the Broncos' win against the Cleveland Browns a couple of weeks ago, and then came out of the bye week looking like he did back at the beginning of the season. Nix threw three interceptions before the Broncos ended up busting the game open on Sunday. His third interception happened when it was still 13-7 in favor of the Colts, but the Broncos would go on to score 24 unanswered points and win the game.
Although you certainly don't diminish the win, by any means, a player like Bo Nix is going to take a game like that as a loss in a number of respects. There were three instances in which he put his team in a really rough position, and they thankfully had his back.
So how did Nix respond after his first three-interception game? What did he have to say? Interestingly enough, Nix was actually asked about the mental hurdles to move past interceptions...
Bo Nix on interceptions: ‘Every time I throw it, is it going to be picked?’
“That’s a great question, a very deep question. The first one, it happens. It happens fast. Whatever. The second one happens. It wasn’t a very good throw, so you get over there and you’re like, ‘What am I doing?’ That was a bad play. Then the third one, the guy jumped it honestly made a really good defensive play. I was like, ‘Was I late? What could I have done differently?’ I thought sometimes those guys make good plays. Regardless, that’s three. It gets to where you feel like, ‘Every time I throw it, is it going to be picked?’ You start having those mental thoughts, but it’s challenging.
It’s probably the toughest part of our position because you know what you’re capable of. You know the read. You know your footwork, how to go through it. Then you just have to keep from being gun-shy. Don’t let one turn into another false vision and just see things that aren’t actually there. I felt like I saw the game well today, but that didn’t keep me from turning the ball over. So what is it? I have to get back to the sideline and regroup. I feel like the guys over there do a great job of keeping me encouraged and reminding me that it’s a long game, ‘Go out there and do what you do.’
I’m not going to lie—it’s tough. You start getting a little bit in your head and you start questioning, ‘Am I actually seeing it? What was that?’ So it’s tough, but I feel like everybody goes through it. The ones that can get out of it and finish the game and win and not let it dictate the outcome of the game, that’s usually when you find some maturity and you find some growth. I just have to keep continuing to do that. Unfortunately, it’s not the first time I’ve thrown three interceptions in a game. Hopefully it’s the last, but probably football will tell you it’s not going to be if you play it long enough. You just have to move on to the next play and get the next completion.”
- Broncos QB Bo Nix (via team PR)
After what we've endured the last couple of years, you at least have to respect the candor and honesty here from Nix. And I love how he almost shares the mindset of the fans early on in this quote when he talks about feeling like every time he drops back, wondering if the ball is going to get picked.
That's a very real mental hurdle to get over as a fan watching the game, but imagine being the quarterback out there trying to make the throws in an intense game. That's why Nix gets paid the big bucks and obviously he has to be better than this, but perhaps the timing of his five interceptions over a two-game span is a bit fortuitous.
Even with Nix throwing five interceptions in the Broncos' last two games, they have scored a whopping 72 points overall. The defense has come through in big-time ways but Nix also has four touchdown passes in that timeframe. It's not like he's being dragged around out there.
But what we saw from Nix for the majority of October and November is what we need to see more of going forward. Accuracy, ball placement, good footwork, good timing, and efficiency through the air. That two month sample is a big reason why Nix is 5th in the NFL in pass attempts as a rookie. Sean Payton and the coaching staff believe in his ability to move the offense, even without an efficient or even effective running game.
Earlier this season, Nix responded after throwing four interceptions in the first two games by throwing just two interceptions over the next 10 games. I'm guessing this kind of wake-up call will cause him to bounce back in a big way.