Bo Nix’s inconsistent footwork has been a consistent throughout the Denver Broncos’ 4-3 start to the season, but head coach Sean Payton said that he’s also wary of “over-coaching” his rookie quarterback.
Nix threw for only 164 yards while completing 16 of 26 passes in the Broncos’ 33-10 victory at New Orleans on Thursday night. But the passing game took a backseat with Denver rushing for 225 yards and dominating time of possession in a game that was well in hand by the middle of the third quarter.
Amazon analyst Kirk Herbstreit was the latest to highlight Nix’s inconsistent footwork during the telecast after the quarterback misfired to multiple open receivers.
Nix is completing 61.2 percent of his passes with five touchdowns against five interceptions on the season while posting a 74.4 quarterback rating. He has a “D” report card thus far by data analytics company Inside Edge. While Nix has an A- grade for pass attempts per sack (18. percent), he has received failing grades thus far for overall hit target percentage (69.1), mid hit target (58.8) and deep hit target (39.1).
Inside Edge also grades Nix with a D- for passer rating under pressure (46.3) and passer rating no pressure (80.0).
“I think you have to be careful you’re not over-coaching,” Payton said Monday. “There are some things he does very well out of the pocket or climbing up in the pocket. I think we start with the focus on timing of the route, the depth of the route in the (shot)gun or under center, (is it a) three-, five- or seven(-step drop back)?
“We work on the rhythm of the play so that his feet marry up to the depth of the route. The times where he’s climbing the pocket or moving in the pocket, we’re pretty smart about how much we saw or how much we try to fix.”
Nix did contribute 75 of those rushing yards as well, bringing his total to 255 yards and three touchdowns on the ground this season. Payton also said Nix’s abilities with his legs have provided an unexpected element to his play-calling.
“I think that he’s a little bit faster than maybe we anticipated even coming out from a running standpoint,” Payton said. “So it does give you some flexibility particularly on third down or in the red zone.”
Denver rebounded from its Week 6 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and has now won four of its past five games to remain in the thick of the AFC wild-card picture.
The Broncos now return home, where they are 1-2 this season, to face the reeling Carolina Panthers (1-6) on Sunday. It’s a critical game with challenging trips to Baltimore and Kansas City the following two weeks.
“I think the focus really always starts inward, not as much outward,” Payton said. “Certainly, we have to study the opponent. Our preparation, all the things we have to do to get ready to play a game, to play our best game is what the focal point will be, and the details.
“There are still a lot of things that we have to be better at.”
