Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw three interceptions against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, but he bounced back and ended the day with three touchdown passes in a 31-13 win.
After the game, Nix was asked about his ability to mentally move past interceptions, and the quarterback gave a lengthy response.
“That’s a great question, a very deep question,” Nix said. “The first one, it happens. It happens fast. Whatever. The second one happens. It wasn’t a very good throw, so you get over there and you’re like, ‘What am I doing?’ That was a bad play. Then the third one, the guy jumped it [and] honestly made a really good defensive play. I was like, ‘Was I late? What could I have done differently?’ I thought sometimes those guys make good plays. Regardless, that’s three. It gets to where you feel like, ‘Every time I throw it, is it going to be picked?’ You start having those mental thoughts, but it’s challenging. It’s probably the toughest part of our position because you know what you’re capable of. You know the read. You know your footwork, how to go through it. Then you just have to keep from being gun-shy. Don’t let one turn into another false vision and just see things that aren’t actually there.
“I felt like I saw the game well [Sunday], but that didn’t keep me from not turning the ball over. So what is it? I have to get back to the sideline and regroup. I feel like the guys over there do a great job of keeping me encouraged and reminding me that it’s a long game, ‘Go out there and do what you do.’ I’m not going to lie — it’s tough. You start getting a little bit in your head and you start questioning, ‘Am I actually seeing it? What was that?’ So it’s tough, but I feel like everybody goes through it. The ones that can get out of it and finish the game and win and not let it dictate the outcome of the game, that’s usually when you find some maturity and you find some growth. I just have to keep continuing to do that. Unfortunately, it’s not the first time I’ve thrown three interceptions in a game. Hopefully it’s the last, but probably football will tell you it’s not going to be if you play it long enough. You just have to move on to the next play and get the next completion.”
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Broncos coach Sean Payton was asked about Nix’s resilience this week and the coach deflected some of the blame for the turnovers to himself.
“This is a tough league sometimes,” Payton said. “I felt afterwards, something like that happens with that adversity early on, I get frustrated at myself, ‘Am I giving him the right looks, the right plays?’ Then later in that game when we needed it, he didn’t flinch. There’s a maturity and a moxie about him which I love. I think it’s contagious to the team.
“When you have that at the quarterback position, your team knows you’re in every game. When you don’t have it, it’s pretty difficult because deep down in their belly they know that’s not the case. That’s something you notice with this year especially and with this team.”
Nix has thrown 20 touchdown passes this season with 11 interceptions (he’s also rushed for four touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass). He’ll look to build on the TDs and limit the turnovers when Denver faces the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football tomorrow night.
