Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix led the Denver Broncos to a 33-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football.

The former Oregon Duck reached a major rookie milestone on an emotional night as Denver coach Sean Payton played his first game in the Superdome as the opposing team’s head coach. Payton coached in New Orleans for 16 years and helped rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.

Nix has led the Broncos to a 4-3 record, their best record through seven games since the 2016 season. With those four wins, Nix tied the Broncos’ franchise record for most wins by a rookie quarterback in a season. Former Denver quarterback Drew Lock also reached that mark in 2019. While NFL legend John Elway earned his fourth win in Week 15 during the 1983 season. Elway’s rookie season was tough, finishing with a 4-7 record as a starter.

“It means a lot,” Nix said after the victory in the Superdome. “You’re talking about one of the greats who ever did this at our organization. It means a lot. You are in good company. I’m not done yet. There is still a lot ahead of us, so I certainly don’t want to stop there.”

Nix has a chance to get his fifth win and surpass both Lock and Elway next Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

The Saints also started a rookie at quarterback, Spencer Rattler, who New Orleans drafted with the 150th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Although overall, this game was a display of rookie mistakes from both quarterbacks, as the Broncos slowly dismantled a disjointed and injury-plagued Saints team to earn a very safe 33-10 win. This win is a positive sign for Denver after a heartbreaking loss to the Chargers last week that snapped a three-game win streak.

Against the Saints, Nix started the Broncos’ first offense awkwardly. After rushing for two first downs for Denver, Nix threw three incompletions. Two of those incompletions were an overthrow (to tight end Lucas Krull) and a submission (to former Duck wide receiver Troy Franklin) by Nix, with two wide open receivers unable to catch his passes.

After this drive, Denver began to rely more on Nix’s legs and short passes instead of long targets downfield. The next two offensive drives for Denver ended in field goals. Javonte Williams punched in Denver’s first rushing touchdown on the Broncos’ first drive of the second quarter. Heading into halftime with another field goal in the bag, the Broncos outscored the Saints 16-0.

On the final drive of the half, Nix attempted a few deep balls that didn’t connect, but for the most part, Nix stuck to a formula of pass rush attempts, quarterback keepers and short passes. Nix went 13-of-21 passing for 134 yards that half, and otherwise showed that his biggest asset is his mobility in the run game. Nix had no turnovers and no sacks entering the locker room.

Also a quick shoutout to Denver Bronco and fellow former Duck, Alex Forsyth. The former star center and leader of the Ducks from 2017-2022 worked his way up to the starting position for the Broncos. During the game against the Saints, Forsyth shined, giving Nix extra space in the pocket and forcing more rushing opportunities for the Broncos. The Broncos averaged 6.4 yards per carry against the Saints. Forsyth is also a big contributor to Nix not taking this game for granted.

Coming out of the half, the Broncos nailed another field goal and then hit in the third quarter before going scoreless through the fourth. With just under seven minutes left in the third quarter and on a third down, Nix held the ball for a 33-yard run for a first down, which was key in keeping the Broncos’ drive alive and one of his best plays of recent years. game. The broadcast’s analysts compared Nix to Taysom Hill after the piece. That run ended in the only touchdown the Broncos scored in the second half.

Overall, Nix finished the game 16-26 (61.5%) for 164 yards passing. He went 75 yards on ten rushing attempts. He finished the game with no interceptions and no sacks thanks to his offensive line and athleticism coming out of the pocket for rushing attempts.

While still experiencing growing pains, Nix is ​​helping lead the Broncos to a 4-3 record along with coach Sean Payton, potentially setting the Broncos up for a playoff run. As long as Nix can stay healthy and not get too flustered when playing the ground game, it should be interesting to see how this former Duck continues to develop as the first rookie captain for the Broncos in over 50 years.

The Broncos will take on the Carolina Panthers at home this Sunday, October 27 at 1:25 PM PST.