Where’s the brilliant Bo Nix that we saw in the preseason? Nix’s spotless preseason record was quickly wiped away by the NFL veterans soon as he entered week 1. So far, he’s played against the Seahawks and the Steelers and both teams got the best of him. Also, the Denver starter has thrown four picks and no TDs to show for it. The is not the welcome to NFL that Bo Nix might have had in his mind.

While media and fans are on his tail about his dismal performance, former QB Chase Daniel entered the scene wearing a mask and a cape and tried to defend Nix. Daniels’ reasons? Well, it’s just been two games, so the sample size is too less to jump to any conclusions. But let’s look at what Dianna Russini and Chase Daniel talked about on Scoop City Podcast.

The conversation started with Russini pointing out the contrast in Nix’s joint practice with the Packers and his regular season performance. Russini thought Nix would have a career filled with longevity, but after watching him play against the Seahawks and the Steelers, her thoughts changed. However, Chase Daniel looks at it through a different set of eyes.

Replying to Rossini’s criticism Daniel noted, “I’m going to sort of defend that right now, it’s two games in and there’s lot to be seen. Yeah, he’s thrown four interceptions and it’s not great. Honestly, he looked like pretty overmatched I would say, like, I’m just going to be honest with you, he’s looked overmatched.”

Daniel pointed how Nix has played in some of the roughest conditions and it’s no secret what playing at Seahawks’ turf is like. It’s loud, distracting, and the #12 makes it hard for the QB to find his rhythm. The defeat was then followed by a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who the top 10 strongest defenses in the league, making Nix’s job even harder. Also, Steelers players like TJ Watt are a living, breathing nightmare for any quarterback. Keeping that in mind, Daniel had a suggestion for the Broncos.

“They’ve got to grow up, they’ve got to get better, and it starts with the quarterback but I’m still believing in him [Nix],” Chase Daniel added later. However, there’s a scary comparison between Bo Nix and Bryce Young that might make you reconsider everything about the Denver QB.

Are Bo Nix and Bryce Young similar?

That’s a heck of a question to answer. But check this out: Austin Gayle of The Ringer painted a bleak picture of Bo Nix. In his recent post on X, Gayle wrote: “Stats on passes of 10+ air yards through Week 2: Bryce Young: 6-of-20 for 123 and 3 picks. Bo Nix: 6-of-24 for 154 and 3 picks.” But that’s not all, Nix has abysmal completion rate on passes more than 5 yards downfield.

“Bo Nix is 11-of-36 for 212 and 4 picks on passes more than five (!) yards downfield. His 30.6% completion rate on such passes is the lowest in the league by six percent AND the worst figure in Weeks 1 and 2 in the last 10 years,” added Gayle later.

Sean Payton earns about $18 million a year with the Broncos, give or take, and Nix’s performance so far might put the Broncos HC on the hot seat very soon. Is this another Russell Wilson-esque situation? Only time will tell. Again, it’s just been two games and we cannot rule out the possibility that Nix is a rookie and will get better with time.

But through all this adversity, Payton has displayed his trust in the rookie quarterback. After Sunday’s loss to Pittsburgh, Payton addressed the media and said, “He’s been through the fire storm, if you will,” and that “You’re better prepared, you’re better served when it comes around again. By no means, we’re not in that position right now.”

However, Payton feels “confident” in his QB and more so, “encouraged” watching him play. Can Nix uplift the Broncos’ under duress? Let us know what you think.