Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a day to forget in his NFL debut, posting a 47.5 passer rating thanks in part to a pair of bad interceptions.
After an eventual 26-20 loss, Nix focused on the positives, noting that Denver battled back and had a chance at the end.
“It was a challenge,” Nix said. “It was a tough day. They didn’t make it easy on us, that’s for sure. Like I said, we competed. We went down there and scored at the end and gave ourselves a chance to win. We were an inch away on an almost batted ball that Riley Moss made an incredible play on that they just made a better play. It’s tough. You’ve got to give them credit, but we battled and we continued to fight.
“Those are the emotions of today, that we got a competitive team. We’ve got a team that’s not going to quit. And we’re going to put everything on the line. No matter if it’s an ugly start, we’re going to continue to find ways to finish.”
Nix finished the game 26-of-42 passing for 138 yards. He rushed for a touchdown late in the game but did not throw any touchdown passes. Nix was asked specifically about the first of his two interceptions after the loss.
“Yeah, that was, I felt like, a bad decision,” Nix said. “We would have had points. They got the ball at the 1. We got a safety after that, so our defense bailed us out.”
The defense “bailed” the offense out with a safety, but ending that drive with a touchdown instead would have been five more points than a safety in a game that was decided by six points.
There’s plenty of room for improvement after his debut, and Nix is confident the team will take steps forward after Sunday’s loss.
“We’ve got to watch the film, see what it says,” the rookie said. “We’ve got to find areas to improve on. I don’t think we were far off. There’s always going to be, even if we won that game, we’re going to go in there and correct it the same way. So find ways to run plays as efficient as possible and stay out of third and longs. Overall, find ways to get a win in these tough games.”
Nix and Co. will get their first opportunity to bounce back when the Broncos host the Pittsburgh Steelers at Empower Field at Mile High in Week 2.
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