Bo Nix Playing Football Is “Disrespectful” to the Quarterback Position, According to Ryan Fitzpatrick

Bo Nix completed 60% of his passes and averaged 4 yards per throw against the Seattle Seahawks.

Bo Nix Playing Football Is “Disrespectful” to the Quarterback Position, According to Ryan Fitzpatrick

Bo Nix (Image via IMAGO/X)

Bo Nix’s poor display against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night angered Ryan Fitzpatrick. The former quarterback turned Amazon game-day analyst called Nix’s performance “disrespectful” to the quarterback position.

Offensive coordinator Davis Webb called plays in the first few games. As the offense didn’t deliver free-flowing football, head coach Sean Payton took over play-calling duties himself.

Despite the change, Nix looked lost against Seattle’s elite defense. Nix went 17 of 27 passes for 107 yards, zero touchdowns, and a QBR of 71.1. The Broncos won 17-14 in overtime.

At the postgame show, Fitzpatrick singled out Nix as the main reason for Denver’s offensive woes. Fitzpatrick criticized Nix for refusing to sling the ball downfield to his receivers.

According to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, Nix averaged 1.2 yards per throw against the Seahawks—his second-lowest outing since Week 16 against the Chargers, when he averaged 1.1 yards per throw.

Passing wasn’t Nix’s only issue; he even struggled to extend plays using his feet. In overtime, his attempt to gain a first down went terribly wrong after he failed to beat the first defender. “Make somebody miss and get a first down for your football team,” an animated Fitzpatrick shouted.

Nix gained a total of two yards on four attempts.“Bo Nix is not playing competitively. It’s almost disrespectful to the quarterback position how he’s playing football,” Fitzpatrick said.

Prior to kickoff, Nix had attempted passes traveling at least 10 air yards on just 23.5% of his throws this season, the lowest rate among qualifying quarterbacks. Per Josh Dubow, Nix is averaging 3.6 air yards per completion, the lowest for a qualifying QB since Aaron Rodgers at 3.7 last season.

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Bo Nix must learn from his mistakes

Payton handpicked Nix out of several talented quarterbacks in 2024. Denver went 10-7, and last year they were the AFC’s first seed with a 14-3 record.

Bo Nix Playing Football Is "Disrespectful" to the Quarterback Position, According to Ryan Fitzpatrick
Bo Nix (Image via IMAGO)

Nix struggled in the playoffs. Even though they beat Buffalo in the divisional playoff game, the 26-year-old completed just 56% of his passes. That trend has carried over to this season.

The rising star has averaged 60.3% completion through the first six games—completing just 50% of his passes in Week three against the Rams.

Despite the apparent issues in his quarterback play, Nix claimed that he hasn’t played differently than in previous years. Not only that, he’s unbothered by the noise around him.

At the end of the day, it’s like, who cares? Why would I go out there worried about throwing an interception? Why would I go out there trying to throw every football 50 yards down the field? Just play the play. If the play is there, hit it. If it’s not, check it down, run, throw it away.

Bo Nix said before facing the Seahawks. (H/T The Denver Gazette)

He followed his philosophy to the letter, and it nearly cost Denver a win. Take Jordan Love, for instance. The Packers have benefitted from his deep balls.

Nix has 6-foot-4 Courtland Sutton as a teammate, known for his prowess as a catcher, and he hasn’t targeted him enough in the end zone. The Arkansas native must change his approach because the defense won’t bail him out every time.

The Broncos defense sacked Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold five times. They forced two interceptions from Darnold (could have had four). Denver’s defense put the team in a position to win with a field goal.

In the closing moments, the Broncos’ offense had five 3-and-outs and two punts before a field goal, thanks to the defense forcing a turnover. Denver’s defense is elite, but it will have one or two off days. If Nix doesn’t play his cards right, the Broncos could kick off a losing streak.

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