Colts Coaches Sound Off on Broncos QB Bo Nix Ahead of Critical Matchup

The Indianapolis Colts had a lot to say about the Denver Broncos rookie signal-caller.

Dec 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) before the start of the game against the Cleveland Browns at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The NFL has taken notice of Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix. October's Rookie of the Month is coming off a bye and next up, Nix will face the Indianapolis Colts at Mile High.

It's safe to say that Nix is no longer flying under the radar as the sixth quarterback drafted in 2024. On Tuesday, Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley shared his read on Nix and one of the trends that's helped the Broncos succeed on gamedays.

"I mean, he’s a guy that can get out of the pocket. He can extend plays. He makes plays on the run," Bradley said. "Bo Nix is a quarterback that runs 4.5. So here we go again; a guy that can extend plays, like I said. It looked like earlier that they used him in the run game, some quarterback runs. They’re still, on occasion, doing that. But it seems now it’s more getting out of the pocket, getting away from the rush, extending the plays that way, rather than a coordinated run game. But yeah, that’s something we have to be aware of because a lot of his explosive plays come off of that.”

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Indeed, after Sean Payton began calling a strategic handful of quarterback-designed runs each game, the Broncos offensive play-caller has pulled back on it of late. Nix's rushing production has slipped over the past four games, although his mobility has still served Denver well.

I've wondered if that might be another strategy to lull opponents to sleep, only to send Nix on some RPOs and other creative quarterback rushes down the stretch. That might be Payton's intention, but Bradley is obviously wise to the possibility and respects Nix's dual-threat capabilities.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen also shared some thoughts on Nix, focusing on his pocket presence and decision-making.

“I’ve seen great growth in a lot of phases," Steichen said of Nix. "His pocket presence has been really strong the last couple weeks. He’s delivering the ball where it needs to go. He’s making a ton of good plays with his legs, which is great. And we’ve just got to continue that the next four weeks for sure.” 

The Colts present a similar dual-threat challenge in quarterback Anthony Richardson. The second-year quarterback has gone 5-4 as Indy's starter, passing for 1,511 yards and seven touchdowns, with nine interceptions, rushing for 383 yards and four additional scores.

Richardson has a penchant for turning it over, though — as talented as he is. With a 7-to-9 TD-to-INT ratio, it's important to remember that this is basically his rookie year, after he missed most of the 2023 season with an injury on the heels of the Colts drafting him No. 4 overall.

Richardson has fumbled the ball nine times, losing three of them. So he's given Indy 11 total touchdowns with 12 turnovers.

Meanwhile, Nix has fumbled once (a botched snap) and quickly recovered it. He leads all rookie quarterbacks with 2,842 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, with eight interceptions through 13 starts.

Nix has also contributed 304 rushing yards and four more touchdowns, plus a receiving score in Baltimore. That gives him 22 total touchdowns, which also leads all NFL rookie quarterbacks.

It'll be interesting to see how Indy's 18th-ranked scoring defense solves for the unique problems Nix presents. And the same goes for the Broncos' second-ranked defense and Richardson.

The Broncos currently sit in the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoffs. If the postseason started tomorrow, the 8th-seeded Colts would barely miss out.

The Broncos have a two-game lead over the Colts in the playoff seeding. If the Broncos win, it would increase their chances of making the playoffs, giving them an 89% probability of making it.

A loss, and the Broncos' playoff probability drops to 47%. If the Colts win, their playoff outlook improves to 57%. A loss drops them to 27%.

Suffice it to say, Sunday is a big game in the AFC.

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