Falcons' Raheem Morris Speaks Out on Facing Rookie QB Bo Nix

The Atlanta Falcons next defensive task is to stop Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons will face their first rookie quarterback of the Raheem Morris era in Week 11 against the Denver Broncos. But with half a season of experience, Nix isn't the raw rookie he was just two months ago.

Since the rough first two weeks of his NFL career, Nix has improved considerably. Behind that improvement, he has the Broncos firmly involved in the AFC wild card picture at 5-5.

On Tuesday, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris addressed the challenges Nix will present his defense in Week 11.

"We got a chance to evaluate him throughout this process, going in as a quarterback, and he's definitely a guy that was a competitor," Morris told reporters. "He was sharp. He was fun to be around, and it looks like that's how he's playing.

"He's feisty. He's got an edge to him. He's not afraid to use his legs. He's learning every single day. He's got a growth mindset about him. He's got a coordinator and head coach that I got so much respect for. I've been able to go against those guys for years.

"Don't like him either, and it should be a lot of fun to go play against those guys.”

Although the Broncos suffered their second straight loss Sunday (their first back-to-back defeats since Weeks 1 and 2), Nix was very sharp against the Kansas City Chiefs. In the defeat, he completed 22 of 30 passes (73.3%) for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns.

One thing the Chiefs defense did do was take away Nix's running ability. He had negative rushing yards Sunday. But Nix averaged more than 5 yards per carry and roughly 33 rushing yards per game in his first nine NFL contests.

Nix has given the Broncos that running ability without taking a lot of sacks. But the past few weeks, sacks have been a bigger problem for Denver. Nix has taken 8 sacks in the past three contests.

Whether it's pressure in the traditional sense or tackling a rookie quarterback running around behind the line of scrimmage, the Falcons could use more sacks. The Falcons had 1 or zero sacks for the eighth time this season in the Week 10 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

The lack of pass rush might not have hurt the Falcons versus Nix had they played him in September. But since Week 3, the rookie quarterback has completed 64.8% of his passes. He's also thrown 10 touchdowns versus only 2 interceptions.

The other thing working against the Falcons is Nix's home and away splits. Nix has been a much better quarterback in Denver. Although his home and road record are both .500, his passer rating is 20 points better in Denver than on the road.

Even going against a rookie quarterback, the Falcons defense will have to be a lot better than what it was in Week 10 to beat the Broncos. Based on his complimentary nature while speaking about Nix on Tuesday, Morris seems well aware of this fact.