Nix once again confounds Davis Webb

Today was only Nix’s third multi-score start of the season through the air, though it was also his second in as many weeks. It came as No. 1 wideout Jaylen Waddle left with a first half concussion. Nix’s touchdowns were a three-yard precision dart to Courtland Sutton and 26-yard busted coverage strike to a returning Pat Bryant. He also extended a few key plays with his scrambling ability, most notably avoiding a massive third down sack on the Broncos’ opening drive. It was not a perfect day, but Nix has inarguably been playing better since his dismal Thursday Night Football outing three weeks ago. Now he must wait and see on Waddle’s status coming out of the Broncos’ Week 10 bye, but Bryant’s healthy return could be a massive development. Nix will be a solid QB2 streamer vs. Vegas in two weeks.

Fittingly, Nix’s longest completion of the day was a dump-off to Jonah Coleman that the rookie turned into a 51-yard gain. Nix has two completions of 50+ yards this year. Both have gone to running backs on throws near or behind the line of scrimmage. On the other hand, when Nix did push the ball downfield versus Kansas City, he was largely effective. He completed 4-of-6 throws farther than nine yards downfield. It was a small step in the right direction after weeks of middling production on intermediate and downfield shots. Nix will look to build on this performance versus a beatable Carolina defense in Week 9. He will sit somewhere near the top of the QB2 ranks.

Per usual, Nix had a quiet day through the air, which is doubly true when you realize 52 of his yards and his lone touchdown came on an RJ Harvey screen. Nix struggled to get his deep ball going, missing several long shots that would have padded out an otherwise lacking box score. On the other hand, fantasy managers won’t be complaining after seeing his rushing line, which was largely the result of a 62-yard rushing touchdown late in the first half. Denver sent nearly all of their eligible pass catchers to the right side of the field, opening up a running lane big enough for at least one 18-wheeler. Facing a much stingier Chiefs defense in Week 8, we don’t expect another elite fantasy showing from Nix next week. He will be on the QB1/2 border for the AFC West showdown.

“He is going to become the byproduct of all the finer things that get improved. The improved play from our offensive line; the more efficient we are relative to downs; running the football. That’s our job as coaches here,” Payton said. Nix has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league through six starts and Jay Glazer passed along word yesterday that Payton changed the terminology that OC Davis Webb had put in this offseason back to what it was last season, which apparently did not help Nix out. He’ll be hard to trust even with a slapdash Cardinals defense on tap for Week 7.

The Broncos managed just 168 yards of total offense on a night their defense carried them to victory in overtime. Nine of the Broncos’ 11 possessions, excluding the two kneel downs to end each half, ended in punts on drives that lasted five plays or fewer. Two second quarter touchdown drives had the Broncos playing with a lead for much of the game but they were otherwise unable to move the football with any consistency. An overtime interception by nickel corner Ja’Quan McMillian allowed for a game-winning, 53-yard field goal from kicker Will Lutz after the Broncos again failed to gain a first down. The win sends Denver to 4-2 while averaging only 18.7 points per game through six weeks. The team gets a scheduling gift with the Cardinals on deck in Week 7, although Nix cannot be treated as a starter-worthy fantasy asset outside of the deepest leagues.

Nix also added 10 yards on the ground on his four carries. He once again wasn’t able to get the ball downfield, with a long passing gain of 34 yards on a busted coverage. He was at least able to find Courtland Sutton for a short touchdown, but this was an ugly day for both signal-callers. Nix is no more than a QB2 for a matchup against the tough Seattle defense in Week 6, and it’s worth noting that game takes place Thursday night.

The Broncos were shut out in the first half amidst consistent struggles from Nix, who, for his part, turned in solid production in a third quarter that saw the Broncos knot the game at 16 through two touchdowns and successful two-point conversions. Nix and the Broncos would struggle to move the football again in the fourth quarter but a pick-six from safety Talanoa Hufanga gave them the lead with under five minutes to play. Stafford returned blows to send the Rams to a three-point lead before Nix’s game-winning score from one yard out. That final drive was aided by three key penalties to go against the Rams, the final of which was questionable, to put it kindly. Josh Wallace appeared to intercept Nix for the second time in the fourth quarter but a defensive pass interference penalty was called, giving the Broncos renewed life. Hufanga would intercept Stafford for a second time in the fourth quarter, this time in the end zone, to seal the victory for the Broncos as time expired. Nix and offensive coordinator Davis Webb have not looked good through three games despite the team’s 2-1 record, and will need to clean things up ahead of another NFC West showdown against the 49ers in Week 4. Nix is currently nothing more than a middling QB2.

It was an uneven day for Nix, who missed some routine throws and threw a bad pick in the end zone while targeting Courtland Sutton. He targeted Jaylen Waddle heavily and connected with Waddle for a 49-yard gain in the first half, regularly attacking the Jaguars secondary downfield. After taking far too many sacks in Week 1 against the Chiefs, Nix was not sacked against a solid Jaguars pass rush on Sunday. Nix’s lack of early-season rushing success has dinged his fantasy prospects a bit. He’s a fine superflex option for Week 3 against the Rams, however.

Nix during his postgame presser defended offensive play caller Davis Webb, who took over for head coach Sean Payton this offseason. “The players did not make it easy on [Webb] today,” said Nix, who completed 17-of-28 passes for 131 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in Monday night’s loss to Kansas City. “Pretty pitiful, actually.” Denver had the league’s second lowest drop back EPA of Week 1; only the Falcons were worse. Nix, meanwhile, ranked 28th out of 32 qualifying QBs in Week 1 accuracy. “We called exactly what we prepared for and what we wanted to get to and we just didn’t execute,” Nix said. “Then we were behind.” Webb and the Broncos will look to bounce back in Week 2 against a tough Jaguars defense.

Nix and the rest of the Denver offense struggled throughout against Steve Spagnuolo’s Kansas City defense, gaining fewer yards as a team (176) than opposing running back Kenneth Walker (191). Things seemed to be clicking early after the Broncos were able to knot the game at seven in the first quarter, but quickly fell apart under unrelenting pressure. The poor offensive showing is sure to draw criticism in the media considering it was the first game called by first-time offensive coordinator Davis Webb after head coach Sean Payton relinquished play calling duties this offseason. Whether that setup continues remains to be seen and we wouldn’t be shocked if Webb failed to make it through the first six weeks still calling plays. The Broncos hold the league’s most difficult schedule through the first six weeks, with games against Jaguars, Rams, 49ers, Chargers, and Seahawks on the immediate horizon. Nix could regain form against the pass-funnel Jaguars in Week 2, where he will be a back-end QB1.