Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix has finally shown why the team chose to put the franchise on his back. Nix looked fantastic all day in Tampa as he faced NFC contenders, the Buccaneers. He finished with a stat total of 25 completions on 36 attempts (69%) for 216 yards with no picks and no touchdown passes. Nix found the endzone with his legs however as he continues to be the Broncos' leading rusher for the year. He ran 9 times for 47 yards and a touchdown, with one of his runs going for 22 yards- a play that will be discussed later. Overall, Nix had a passer rating of 85 which examines pass attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdown passes, and interceptions.

The average stats do not tell the full story of how much Bo Nix excelled in third career game, however. There are multiple factors that contributed to his success as well. The first two weeks saw Nix as one of the most pressured QBs in the league and his receivers dropped passes like a freshman in college drops 8 am classes. The run game was dreadful for the first two weeks as well. Neither Javonte Williams nor Jaleel McLaughlin found much success behind a poor performing but highly expensive offensive line. The defense was the only factor that gave Nix a chance early on but fortunately, Sean Payton seems to have turned around the early struggles, at least to a certain extent.

The fans in Tampa witnessed Nix's receivers step up more than they had previously done. Courtland Sutton was clearly an intentional target on Sunday, and he helped back up his verbal support for his rookie leader by supporting him on the field as well. Nix was pressured just as much by Tampa as they blitzed on 43.6% of snaps, a very high number. This did not faze the young quarterback this week and he boasts a stellar 79.5 passer rating when blitzed. Nix managed to take advantage of the extra bodies flying at him by exposing the holes left in the defense to do so. Quick passes, good field vision, and exceptional composure gave Nix the upper hand against the pressure. As for the backfield, Williams and McLaughlin combined for just 19 yards on the ground after 10 total attempts. Tyler Badie, brought up from the practice squad, gave Nix the help he needed on the ground with 70 yards on 9 attempts. He has now been signed to the active roster and will be a great asset moving forward. Moving pieces beginning to step up around Nix in the opposition as well as on the Broncos are finally supporting the QB but he certainly has pulled his weight.

There are two main pieces to the game in Tampa Bay that stood out to me and reminded me of why I picked Bo Nix as my preferred QB in Denver last November. The first is the 22-yard rushing play that he pulled off. Anyone who is online has seen the video. Nix should have been sacked in the backfield after a Buccaneer broke free on his blind side. At the very last second, just as he is about to be touched, Nix ducks out of the way and stumbles left towards the line of scrimmage and then breaks free in a downfield sprint to pick up 22. Fans were quick to point out that Russell Wilson would have been hospitalized on the same play had he been in the situation last year. Sure, Wilson would have been sacked, but I believe you would be hard pressed to find a QB that wouldn't have been. Nix's pocket presence on the play and complete awareness of what is unfolding around him, all the while keeping his eyes downfield the whole time, is a remarkable feat and one that can only truly be ascribed to him. There are clear intangible traits there. Nix did not panic once, did not take his eyes off the receivers, did not simply fall to the ground, and protect himself, or throw a poor ball on the play. His composure and ability to focus in all environments, even as a huge defender is about to take his head off, is wildly impressive. Bo Nix was not sacked once on Sunday. Credit to the offensive line for standing up, but credit also to Nix for avoiding pressure and getting the ball out without forcing it.

The other element of the game that stood out to me was his drive at the end of the first half. The Broncos won the coin toss but elected to receive, a compliment of the young QB. The Broncos led the game 17-0 at the two-minute warning but with 1:50 remaining on the clock, Tampa made it 17-7, capitalizing on a Javonte Williams fumble. With the coin toss decision looming over a sudden 10-point game, the Broncos really needed a score to end the half before Tampa took the ball back in the 3rd quarter. Nix gets the ball for a 2-minute drill and excelled the whole way. The drive was 9 plays and went for 50 yards. Nix started the drive 5 for 5 before throwing two incompletions at the end. His five passes accounted for 45 yards of the 50 and the remaining 5 were picked up on a Nix rush. Bo was responsible completely for taking his team downfield and leading them to a 38-yard field goal to end the half, up 20-7. Nix operated heavily under a no-huddle offense, a talent of his from his time at both Auburn and Oregon. Most quarterbacks struggle to get their team on the board during a two-minute drill at the end of a half or game. There are few who can not only put points up but also look as efficient as Nix did when doing so. This was his third regular season game of his career. This drive is worth a rewatch to see exactly how well Nix performed and the focus should heavily be on, once again, his composure. The man is mature and calm, and that trait is not something to be taught.

A significant difference in the Tampa Bay game came with the play calling. The first two games felt as if Sean Payton was hoping to ease Bo into the league, not letting him take too many shots downfield or put him in high stress environments. These two games were struggles for Nix. Payton made the adjustment to call far more aggressively and unleash Bo Nix's potential. Payton trusted Nix to make downfield throws with a lot of air under the ball. He also trusted Bo to make more developed decisions as is seen in the RPO (run/pass option), which were highly common while he played at Oregon. The Broncos only ran three in the first two games, but in Tampa, they ran eight. Nix made great decisions, got plenty of air under the ball, looked more accurate than before, and moved well in and out of the pocket. His comfortability with the aggressive calls were a sight for sore Denver eyes.

Look away Mahomes and Chiefs haters. That's exactly what Nix did as well, he looked away. Bo threw a solid no look pass to Sutton nearly ten yards down the field. Sutton has struggled greatly this year to generate space around him and that was the downfall on the play. With any separation, the ball is completed, and Courtland can take off. While the ball was incomplete, the play should not be overlooked. The no look pass was delivered spot on by Nix but more importantly, he chose to do it. No, not that he just threw a ball without looking, but rather that he was comfortable to try it. Nix certainly was not comfortable enough in the first two games to get creative, but here, he was in rhythm and went for it. The comfortability Coach Payton unlocked in his young star has him not only making plays but trying new things. This is a very good sign that Nix is developing at a solid rate as it is only week three.

Nix is comfortable and yes, he is having fun. A fun callback to his college days indeed but his play is even more so. Bo Nix has found his stride with Sean Payton, and they should never look back. Nix looks like who he was at Oregon, a record setting QB who can complete a remarkable number of passes, move with great agility, see the field dynamically, and ultimately be a dark horse in the game. We will have to see how the next game against the Jets looks, as well as the rest of the year but Nix has emerged. He is here. Welcome to the league Bo.