Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix is 5-of-24 on passes thrown beyond 10 yards this season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. All four of his interceptions have also come on pass attempts beyond 10 yards.
Based on those stats (and, frankly, the eye test), it appears that Nix struggles to push the ball down the field. Broncos coach Sean Payton isn’t ready to make such a declaration, however.
“I don’t know how many attempted passes 10-yards or more down the field [he has],” Payton said earlier this week. “So maybe you’re referencing he just hasn’t had as many 10-yards-or-more down the field. We go in each week with a number of designed shots. We hit Courtland [Sutton] on the deep third-down dagger.
“Obviously, we hit the flea flicker. There are more than that that are called, so now you’re waiting for the right time. Sometimes you get the coverage look you want, but I think that two weeks in would be a little early for that.”
Perhaps even worse than the 10-yard stats are Nix’s numbers beyond five yards: 11-of-36. Two games are, admittedly, a small sample size, and Payton’s certainly not going to panic publicly even if the topic has been broached privately.
The good news is that Nix did show some improvement from Week 1 to Week 2, with his yards per attempt average jumping from 3.3 to 7.0. So long as he continues making progress, Nix will be trending in the right direction. Broncos fans will hope to soon see progress on passes beyond 10 yards.
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