Sean Payton scoffed at the notion of naming a starting quarterback Sunday night.
Actions tell the story, though, and Bo Nix is steaming toward official QB1 status.
Words do matter, too, and the Broncos head coach continued to have high praise for not only the rookie first-round draft pick but also Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson after Denver’s 27-2 win over Green Bay.
“(Nix) did a good job at the line of scrimmage with some checks,” Payton said. “You feel his comfort level as he continues to get used to the calls coming in and you kind of feel the poise when he’s playing. And the other two the same way. I said this last week: I like the room.
“Their job is to lead the offense down the field and score points. And they all had touchdown drives.”
Indeed they did. Nix engineered 10 points to start the game. Stidham followed with 10 more in the middle sector, and Wilson punched in a late touchdown pass as well. In between: mostly good, some bad and some unfortunate.
Here’s the tale of the QB tape from Denver’s second preseason game.
Bo Nix
Possessions/snaps: 2/20
Stat line: 8 of 9 for 80 yards, TD, QB rating 140.7, three carries for 12 yards
Drive results: Field goal, touchdown
Highlight: A trio of plays setting up the touchdown pass to Tim Patrick stood out. Nix converted a third-and-9 with a good timing route to Patrick in the middle of the field. Then he took off and got 10 on his own to turn first-and-20 into at least something that Denver could work with. Finally, he drove a 23-yard in-breaker to Courtland Sutton to get to first-and-goal.
Lowlight: There wasn’t much to complain about over Nix’s two drives, but he did lose track of his position on the field when he threw a 14-yard touchdown to Javonte Williams. Nix had crossed the line of scrimmage, so the score came off the board. The loss-of-down penalty contributed to Denver stalling and kicking a field goal.
Analysis: Nix has not faced a starting defense yet in either of his outings. Neither the Colts nor the Packers played their top groups. As such, caveats apply to the efficiency with which Nix has operated to date. But the rookie can only play against who’s on the field, and he helped Denver generate six scores and 24 first downs in seven drives. Payton and the Broncos can’t ask for much more than that.
Jarrett Stidham
Possessions/snaps: 4/19
Stat line: 7 of 11, 65 yards, INT, sack, QB rating 41.9, one carry for 9 yards and a TD
Drive results: Punt, touchdown, INT, punt
Highlight: Stidham was not going to be denied on a third-and-5 from the Packers’ 9-yard line. He looked around, then took off up the middle. Instead of sliding, he lowered his shoulder and stunned linebacker Ralen Goforth near the goal line, then got in for the touchdown.
Lowlight: Two preseason games, two tipped-ball interceptions for Stidham. This week’s was more on him than last week’s, but still unfortunate. A defensive lineman tipped the ball straight up into the air, and linebacker Kristian Welch beat receiver Marvin Mims Jr. to the ball.
Analysis: For the second week in a row, Stidham’s final line won’t do his performance justice. He was mostly decisive with the ball and had a 19-yard completion to Greg Dulcich called back because of an illegal chop block one play after he hit Lil’Jordan Humphrey for 20. Stidham didn’t run away with the job early in camp, and he probably won’t win it now. But he’s been steady throughout August and in both of his game appearances.
Zach Wilson
Possessions/snaps: 5/19
Stat line: 2 of 6, 29 yards, TD, two sacks, safety, QB rating 89.6.
Drive results: Field goal, safety, punt, touchdown, punt
Highlight: Wilson hit reserve running back Tyler Badie on a perfectly timed screen that turned into a 7-yard touchdown. It gave the 25-year-old quarterback another solid preseason moment to add to his collection.
Lowlight: Quick pressure off Wilson’s right side took away pretty much any chance he had at avoiding a sack deep in his own territory. Wilson, though, couldn’t get out of the end zone, and the ensuing safety represented Green Bay’s only points of the night. After a sack-free preseason opener, Wilson took two and Stidham one against the Packers’ reserves.
Analysis: Wilson got off to a rough start Sunday night. He said it himself. But the final line will look worse than the way he actually played late in a preseason game with iffy offensive line play around him. Wilson hit Michael Bandy in rhythm for a 22-yard gain just before the touchdown pass. He should play a ton next weekend against Arizona and has done a good job of showing why he is worthy of a roster spot this fall. This outing shouldn’t have a big impact on that calculus.
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Originally Published: August 18, 2024 at 10:37 p.m.
