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Jeff Legwold, ESPN Senior Writer
DENVER — After what their rookie quarterback did to the Atlanta Falcons Sunday to keep the Denver Broncos in the AFC’s playoff race, some Broncos players said the team’s five-letter rookie quarterback just might have a future with a coveted three-letter award.
Bo Nix, who the Broncos selected No. 12 overall in this past April’s draft, had career bests in passing yards (307), touchdown passes (four) and completion percentage (84.8) in the Broncos’ 38-6 demolition of the Falcons at Empower Field at Mile High. The win moved the Broncos to 6-5 and keeps them in the AFC playoff race.
“He’s him,” said Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II. “I told him ‘man, you’re trying to win MVP, not even looking like offensive rookie of the year right now, it’s looking like MVP. Just a testament to him. He puts the work in.”
Nix, who had no touchdown passes and four interceptions over the first three games of the season, had thrown 13 touchdown passes in the last seven games, nine over the last four games. After being last among the league’s starters in completion percentage during the first month of the season, he’s had three games with at least 73% completion rate over the last four weeks.
He did not throw an interception Sunday, his fourth game in the last five he has not had an interception and his seventh of the season.
It all enabled the Broncos to bounce back from last week’s potentially soul-crushing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs when the potential game-winning field goal was block on the final play.
“He’s certainly settled in, third down, red zone, there are a lot of things he did really well (Sunday) night,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. ” … It’s our league, you’re learning each week, pretty soon you’re like ‘I belong here.’ And it’s clear he belongs here.”
Sunday’s win also completed the Broncos’ stampede though the NFC South. Four of Denver’s six wins have come against the crossover division on their schedule this year by a combined score of 125-37 in victories over Tampa Bay, Carolina, New Orleans and Atlanta.
The rookie’s two highest passing totals of the season — 284 yards against the Panthers and his 300-yard game against the Falcons — have come against NFC South teams.
“Those games are a lot of fun,” Nix said. “They’re what you work for, they’re why you play the game, instances like that. I thought everyone had a great day … I think everybody on this level can feel like they belong … Each week, like coach said, I find ways to get better.”
The Broncos will now need to get down to AFC business, and AFC West business, in particular, in the weeks to come to stay in the playoff chase. The Broncos entered and exited Sunday as the No. 7 team in the AFC postseason race.
As Nix finds an increasing comfort level in the Broncos’ offense and Payton finds an increasing comfort level on what parts of the playbook make the most sense for Nix to run in his first year as a starter, the Broncos now face the closing stretch with six AFC games left on the schedule. Those include games against Indianapolis and Cincinnati, two teams immediately behind them in the AFC playoff stack at the moment with three division games left as well – at the Raiders next Sunday, at the Chargers Dec. 22 against the Chiefs in the regular-season finale.
“You feel like you’re in good hands,” Payton said of Nix. “He’s smart with the football … he’s got that ability to create and all the while protect the football.”
“Our team is headed in the right direction and we just have to continue finding ways to play like we did (Sunday),” Nix said. ” … Sometimes you wake up ready to roll, it’s a blessing to be in my spot, in my shoes.”