Because the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs put together for this Sunday’s huge divisional matchup in opposition to the Denver Broncos, the Chiefs’ coaches and gamers perceive that the Broncos’ second-year quarterback Bo Nix isn’t the identical participant they noticed final season.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo sees a participant with confidence.
“[Nix] appears to be like like he has full command of what to do on the line of scrimmage,” Spagnuolo informed reporters on Thursday. “You might see that final 12 months. Because the 12 months went on, he acquired higher and higher at that. I feel the coaches clearly trust in him now with altering performs — and he’s one other athletic quarterback. These guys are all the time just a little little bit of a headache, as a result of even once you’re proper in what you’re doing, [they] could make you look dangerous by making you miss.”
With a report of 8-2, Denver leads the AFC West behind an offense constructed on taking what’s out there — an environment friendly strategy that mirrors Nix’s type. Whereas his 60.9% completion charge (and 6.1 yards per try) might rank low amongst his friends, he’s ranked fifth in complete completions (213) and second in go makes an attempt (350). Whereas these aren’t flashy numbers, he’s thrown for two,126 yards and 18 touchdowns by way of 10 video games — with solely eight interceptions.
Kansas Metropolis head coach Andy Reid additionally sees the Broncos’ quarterback following a optimistic developmental curve underneath head coach Sean Payton.
“He’s selecting up what Sean is asking him to do,” he Reid, “then executing it and doing job of that. That’s a main accountability of the quarterback. You’re going to be given a scheme. Then you definately’ve acquired to grow to be the grasp of it — after which make all people round you higher. He’s finished a pleasant job of that.”
The specter of Nix’s passing enhances Denver’s actual power: its operating sport. The Broncos declare the league’s ninth spot in dashing yards, averaging 128.6 per sport. This opens up play-action passes for the Broncos’ offense. Spagnuolo believes that can be one of many largest challenges his unit will face on Sunday.
“I name [them] motion passes,” defined the coordinator, “whether or not it’s a boot or simply play-action. They block it up — they usually’re actually good at that.
“Now, [it’s] not all the time straightforward to get them out of rhythm on these as a result of they’ve acquired lots of people packed in there, so part of it comes again to tight protection and getting them to carry on to the ball just a little bit. Then we all the time speak about [how] any person’s acquired to punch a gap within the safety.”
Kansas Metropolis’s star defensive sort out Chris Jones believes the protection’s problem can be to win early downs, disrupting Denver’s run-first rhythm. But when it might’t — permitting the Broncos to get in third-and-manageable conditions — the protection can be dealing with a much more harmful model of the offense it confronted final season.
“Nix makes the sport very straightforward for them,” he defined. “They sluggish the sport down for him [with] play-action passing and operating the ball. When you may run the ball as effectively as they’ve been operating, then it opens up for the quarterback with play-action passes.
“They’ve been doing a very, actually good job — they usually have a head coach who I respect the heck out of. [I saw] him this summer time over in Las Vegas and mentioned a few phrases to him. I’m excited to play these guys, man; [a] division sport is all the time powerful. It’s the Broncos!”
