While the Denver Broncos are still reeling from their 41-10 drumming in Baltimore, a bigger bully could be waiting for them in the Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 10’s matchup features the 5-4 Broncos against the 8-0 Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, with the road team listed as heavy underdogs for a second consecutive game. Head coach Sean Payton snapped the Chiefs' once dreaded 16-game winning streak over the Broncos in 2023, but this season, Kansas City remains the only unbeaten team in the NFL, sitting firmly atop the AFC West.
This will be the first game that Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix faces Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the Chiefs, who are entrenched in their quest for a historic Super Bowl three-peat.
Despite an embarrassing loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9, Nix scored the Broncos' only touchdown of the game on Payton’s version of the ‘Philly Special,' which saw wideout Courtland Sutton throw a two-yard pass to the quarterback, who, unlike Nick Foles' famous Super Bowl catch, had to go vertical to bring in the contested catch. The surprising score made Nix the only player in the league with a rushing, passing, and receiving score, becoming the third QB in NFL history to achieve that as a rookie.
Suffice it to say that Nix’s defensive opponents are taking notice of his impressive abilities, including Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie.
“He’s definitely picking up really well on their offense and he’s starting to be able to read defenses a little bit better. But I think the best thing he does is using his feet,” McDuffie said on Wednesday.
McDuffie, who was a first-round draft pick by Kansas City in 2022, has won consecutive championships with the Chiefs in addition to earning a first-team All-Pro nod in 2023. The 5-foot-11, 193-pound defensive back is an instrumental leader in Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s secondary and is credited with 28 tackles (17 solo), three QB hits, and five pass deflections this season.
The Chiefs defense would be wise to heed the advice of McDuffie, who foreshadows Nix’s mobility as a defensive threat.
“Many people might not see him as this mobile quarterback you know, Lamar Jackson, this and that but he’s willing to run that ball," McDuffie said. "He’s also willing to pull it on some zone reads. He’s able to scramble and make time for his receivers to get open —and he knows where he wants to put the ball. I’ve got to respect that as a rookie. He’s a good quarterback. He’s coming along great and he’s going to be a challenge for us.”
The 24-year-old Nix has already logged 295 rushing yards with four touchdowns and 27 first downs, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He has asserted his dual-threat ability more than halfway through the season.
Nix also passed for 1,753 passing yards and eight touchdowns, with six interceptions, completing 62.6% of his passes. He's also coming off a productive October, earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month.
Since being selected No.12 overall last April, Nix continues to dazzle and impress on a weekly basis. But leading the Broncos to victory against the reigning, undefeated champions in Kansas City will be Nix's biggest opportunity to leave jaws on the floor in a stadium that Denver hasn’t won in since 2015.
