Broncos back Nix before 1st playoff start: 'He's been in big moments'
Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix has his team's confidence as he prepares for his first NFL playoff game against the Buffalo Bills this weekend.
"He's seasoned, and he's been in big moments, and you know what, he's going to play in bigger games," head coach Sean Payton told reporters Wednesday, including Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports.
Nix's top receiver, Courtland Sutton, echoed that sentiment.
"This season, that's all I've got for you," Sutton said when asked why he's confident in Nix entering the playoffs, adding, "His resume speaks for himself."
The 7-seed Broncos are road underdogs heading into their matchup versus the Bills, but Payton said Nix's experience will serve him well.
"He's played in a lot of big games, and honestly, last week for him, for many guys, was like a playoff game," Payton said.
Denver blew out the Kansas City Chiefs 38-0 in the season finale to clinch a playoff spot, though Kansas City rested most of its starters in the matchup.
The star rookie started all 17 games for the Broncos, leading all first-year quarterbacks with 376 completions, 3,775 passing yards, and 29 touchdowns through the air. He added 430 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns as a dual-threat QB.
Nix is a top contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year after quarterbacking the Broncos to their first playoff berth since the 2015 season when they won Super Bowl 50 with Peyton Manning at quarterback.
Denver selected Nix 12th overall in last year's draft, the sixth QB taken.
The 24-year-old started 61 games in college between Auburn and Oregon, previously an NCAA record. That included big-time matchups like the 2024 Pac-12 championship game and various bowl games.
The Bills (13-4) host the Broncos (10-7) in the wild-card round on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.