Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos have won two in a row following a disheartening 0-2 start. The Broncos' defense is on a different level and Bo Nix has been sackless and interceptionless during that stretch. However, the Broncos are facing what might be their toughest test yet: winning the games that they should win.
The Broncos are entering a softer part of their schedule. The Raiders are banged up, and Davante Adams seemingly wants no part of remaining with the team. Most sports books have the Broncos in some area of a three to four-point favorite entering Week 5, which would be the first time that the Broncos have been favored in a game this year. The closest the Broncos have come to being favorites would be against the Steelers in week two, which saw the Steelers as a slight favorite in Denver.
Bo Nix has an opportunity to help Broncos start undefeated in AFC West games
Following the Raiders, the Broncos will host a Chargers team that is also varying levels of banged up. The Chargers have dropped a pair since starting 2-0, and have seen their offense greatly diminish in recent weeks. They'll head into Denver off their bye week, but two weeks might not be enough for that squad to get healthy enough to be in a position to win.
Nix will also need to balance two vital components to his game, which at times can become contradictory: progressing his game and improving as a quarterback, and playing a strong game for the Broncos that can keep them in a position to win. For Nix, he has had to try and juggle that in-game for most of the year and has seen better results the last two weeks, specifically in Tampa Bay. However, there's a solid reason to believe that it is a much tougher venture for the rookie against a strong Raider pass rush and a Jim Harbaugh-led team.
What sits in front of Nix is now a proposition that he dealt with a lot at Oregon, but not yet in the NFL: win the games that you should. On paper, the Broncos should win their next two games to move to 4-2, and be in a strong playoff position heading into the end of October. However, as the Broncos have seen before, an inability of the quarterback position to win the games could derail a season. Nix will need to prove that he can handle business, and if he can, the Broncos might see themselves in a legitimate, full-season playoff push for the first time in almost a decade.