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Buffalo Sports News

Broncos Star Rookie Should Strike Fear in Bills Ahead of NFL Playoffs

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Bo Nix Broncos

The Buffalo Bills’ 13-4 record was enough to earn the AFC’s No. 2 seed in the 2025 NFL Playoffs. Sometimes the reward for a strong regular season is an easy first-round matchup. That’s certainly not the case on this occasion as rookie quarterback Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos await in the Wild Card Round.

Nix and company clinched the conference’s final postseason berth with a 38-0 rout of the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Yes, the Chiefs played mostly backups with their first-round bye already locked in, but it was still an impressive display under pressure by Denver.

Now the Broncos get an opportunity to shock the football world by knocking off the Bills, who’ve yet to lose a home game this season.

Bo Nix, Broncos Could Put Bills on Upset Alert

Breaking Down Nix’s 2024 Season

Nix finished his rookie season with a near-perfect game against the Chiefs’ reserves. The 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft completed 26 of his 29 throws for 321 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He added a team-high 47 rushing yards.

Some may dismiss the performance since Kansas City didn’t play its starters. That’s a mistake. A rookie quarterback facing a must-win situation often succumbs to the pressure. Unforced errors turn what should be a routine win into an ugly loss. Bo Nix rose to the occasion for the Broncos and then some.

The performance capped a memorable first NFL season for the 24-year-old Arkansas native. Here’s a look at his final numbers:

  • Passing: 66.3 percent completion rate (376 of 567) for 3,775 yards, 29 touchdowns, 12 interceptions
  • Rushing: 92 carries for 430 yards (4.7 YPC), 4 touchdowns
  • Receiving: 1 catch for 2 yards, 1 touchdown

Nix ranked 18th in ESPN’s Total QBR (57.2) and received a solid 73.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. He’d probably be the front-runner for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award if it wasn’t for the otherworldly debut campaign from the Washington Commanders‘ Jayden Daniels.

The University of Oregon product also enters the playoffs on a heater. He’s recorded 906 total yards of offense with nine touchdowns and just one turnover across the past three weeks.

Why Bo Nix, Broncos Should Worry Bills Defense

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich have their work cut out leading up to Sunday’s game.

The Bills possess a scheme-centric defense. It’s not a unit with an overwhelming amount of talent, especially with Hall of Fame edge-rusher Von Miller no longer at the peak of his powers and All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano nowhere close to 100 percent after a long history of injuries.

In turn, the defense relies heavily on scheme knowledge and execution. Be in the right place at the right time. That’s why the organization felt comfortable with Damar Hamlin as a starting safety. He’s extremely limited as a playmaker, but he rarely makes mental mistakes. It’s also why Taron Johnson has emerged as one of the NFL’s top slot cornerbacks: his high football IQ perfectly fits within the scheme.

What causes problems for those types of defenses? Quarterbacks who can escape the pocket, extend plays, and create something out of nothing. Nix fits the bill.

How will McDermott and Babich respond. They have two options:

  • A: Bring a lot of pressure, create more variance and hope for turnovers
  • B: Sit back, play contain with four rushers and force Nix to throw into tight windows

Historically, the Bills have opted for Option B. McDermott’s approach, dating back to his time as the Carolina Panthers‘ defensive coordinator, has centered around zone coverage. While he’s long preferred to limit big plays and hope for mistakes, the style has often struggled against good offenses in the playoffs.

That doesn’t mean it wouldn’t work against a rookie like Nix, but the Broncos signal-caller’s ability to make off-script plays creates serious risk for Buffalo.

Broncos Pass Rush Adds to Buffalo Concerns

The Bills face a secondary problem if they decide on standard vanilla zone coverage: the Broncos own the league’s most fearsome pass rush. They racked up 63 sacks. That not only led the NFL but was also nine more quarterback takedowns than the next-highest team (Baltimore Ravens, 54).

Consequently, this likely won’t be a game where Buffalo can just rely on Josh Allen playing the role of Superman to save the day. Allen will make his fair share of plays, as he always does, but the Bills are probably going to need at least a handful of defensive stops to win. Not just one or two.

Given the strength of the Broncos pass rush, which is the main reason the defense finished third in points allowed per game (18.3), McDermott and Babich may have no choice but to lean on a more aggressive defensive game plan.

Buffalo needs to force turnovers. It’s that simple. The Bills ranked third in the NFL with 32 takeaways during the regular season. That helped hide some baseline defensive issues.

When the turnovers didn’t come, however, Buffalo struggled mightily. In the six games where McDermott’s group secured one takeaway or less, they gave up an average of 32.7 points. That showcases the turnover-or-bust nature of the defense.

While it didn’t prevent the Bills from having a great regular season, it required an MVP-level campaign from Allen to keep them afloat. Asking him to score 33-plus against the Broncos’ defense would be a tall task.

Accordingly, Sunday’s game may land more on the shoulders of the Buffalo defense than the team’s superstar quarterback. Finding a way to slow down a red-hot Nix is paramount. A heavy dose of blitzes comes with risk, but it may be the Bills’ only avenue to create the turnovers they need.

Main Photo: Isaiah J. Downing – USA Today Sports

The post Broncos Star Rookie Should Strike Fear in Bills Ahead of NFL Playoffs appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.