Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix will face deserved criticism for his poor performance against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, but nobody can question the rookie’s mentality.
“I love a quarterback who continues to fight,” wide receiver Josh Reynolds said after a 26-20 loss. “Our team continued to fight. We just have to clean up stuff and continue to execute plays.”
The numbers (26-of-42 passing for 138 yards and two interceptions) and eye test both attest that Nix struggled in his NFL debut, but the quarterback never quit. After Nix rushed for a touchdown late in the game, the Broncos drew within one score and had a chance to get the ball back.
“Even though he threw two picks, he came back and still gave us a chance to win the game at the end,” running back Javonte Williams said. “That’s good for him being a rookie showing that composure.”
Nix kept fighting, and his teammates took notice.
“The resiliency,” receiver Devaughn Vele said when asked what can be taken away from Nix’s first NFL start. “It showcases every time he steps on the field, I give a lot of credit to him. It’s big shoes for him to fill, but I feel like he’s learning, he’s getting better every single time, and we’re going to continue to trust him every single week.”
Nix, as usual, focused on the positives after the loss.
“Overall, I think, as poorly as we did, I think we gave ourselves a chance to win there at the end,” the rookie said. “Our special teams and defense played incredible. They really kept us in the game and gave us hope. They battled. I think, overall, you like the compete of our team. You like the look of we never quit. We battled.
“It could have got out of hand, but it didn’t. We were a possession away from having a chance essentially. Obviously not the original results you want, but I feel like we’re going to have a confident group and bounce back from it and continue to compete.”
Nix and Co. will now have an opportunity to bounce back when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2.
“I have no doubts [Nix will bounce back],” Reynolds said. “I know what kind of character he’s got and what kind of guy he is. We’re going to come out next week and be firing on all cylinders.”
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