Broncos' win vs. Chiefs reminder of Bo Nix's impact as a runner. Will it grow in playoffs?
Nix has rushed less than he did as a rookie, but the playmaking ability with his legs could be a wild card for the Broncos in the playoffs.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Bo Nix moved to his right on a third-and-6 play against the Kansas City Chiefs last week and saw a zone defense that had efficiently blanketed his receivers. The second-year Denver Broncos quarterback was faced with a decision. He could keep moving parallel to the line of scrimmage, buying time for his targets to wiggle free from the defenders in the area. Or, he could cut upfield and try to pick up the pivotal first down himself.
Nix had faced a similar decision on Denver’s previous drive. On third-and-8, he moved into a clearing at the front of the pocket as his eyes scanned downfield. The quarterback had ample room to pick up the first down, but he spotted a potential home run as his top target, Courtland Sutton, crossed the deep middle of the field. Nix fired while sprinting forward, but a diving Sutton was unable to corral the ball, and Denver was forced to punt.
Broncos coach Sean Payton liked the throw, which would have produced a rare explosive pass play on a night they were hard to come by, but he also wanted to make sure his quarterback was aware of the rushing lanes that were popping up in the Chiefs’ soft zone defense.
“There’s two plays where he’s finding a throw off-schedule,” Payton noted, “and I said, ‘You got running room here.'”
Nix decided to take advantage of it on the third-and-6 play, running by lunging pass rusher George Karlaftis for 14 yards and a first down. Nix scrambled for 9 more yards on a first-and-15 play later in the drive, which ended with a field goal just before halftime. By game’s end, Nix had rushed nine times for 42 yards, his second-highest rushing output of the season. He scored on a 9-yard draw play and generally used his legs to make the plays the Broncos had to have to grind out their 13th win of the season — a victory that ultimately clinched the AFC West.
BO NIX TAKES IT IN HIMSELF FOR THE LEAD
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Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/7RKqmjA00R— NFL (@NFL) December 26, 2025
It was a snapshot of what the Broncos may need from Nix as a highly anticipated postseason run nears. Payton has lumped Sunday’s Week 18 finale against the Los Angeles Chargers as a playoff game in its own right, given that Denver will earn the No. 1 seed with a victory. The Chargers will rest quarterback Justin Herbert and could sit other starters with their status as a road wild-card team to begin the playoffs already secured, but the opponent’s personnel doesn’t change the stakes for the Broncos.
“Our focus is that this is a playoff game,” Payton said Wednesday. “We’re preparing for all of them. This is more about us. They’re a real good football team, a tremendous football team. Jim (Harbaugh) has done a great job. This very quickly became a real good division, and the focus is really internal in our preparation.”