How Davis Webb Will Help Bo Nix Silence the Critics

After two seasons in the NFL, Bo Nix has quieted some of the critics who doubted him. His success with the Denver Broncos has been undeniable.

However, some of Nix's harshest doubters have a penchant for moving the goalposts, finding new reasons to be highly critical of him. At the same time, they prop up other quarterbacks who don’t quite have the statistical numbers and analytics Nix has, all because they play a highlight-centric game, with Nix typically being a little cleaner and simpler, though that isn’t to say he doesn’t have those highlight moments.

Nix will continue to silence those critics in Year 3 with the help of new Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Sure, the goalposts might move some more, but this is going to be a big year for Nix, to the point where it becomes a lot harder for his critics to find novel reasons to fade him.

Now, Nix has been a far-from-perfect quarterback, but he doesn’t get the respect he deserves, especially with his ability to rise late in games.

In fairness, some of those late-game heroics are necessary because of the bind he and the offense put themselves in, but Nix has started to show more consistency throughout the game. That said, even though Webb is an inexperienced play-caller, he will be the biggest reason Nix silences the critics.

Streamlining the Play-Calling Process

Bo Nix, Sean Payton, and Davis Webb — Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, quarterback Bo Nix, and pass game coordinator Davis Webb discuss a play against the Los Angeles Chargers. | Kevin Langley / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

One of the biggest issues for any quarterback is not having enough time to read defenses and make adjustments pre-snap, and as great a play-caller as Sean Payton is, that was a major issue over the last two seasons.

Not only were there moments when Nix was clearly frustrated on the field over it, but the time it took for Payton to get the play calls in was a consistent talking point for whichever broadcasting team was covering the Broncos.

Webb getting the play calls in faster seems to be a primary focus for him and the offense as a whole to give Nix that extra pre-snap time to make reads and adjustments. When Nix was able to do that over the past two seasons, it often resulted in something great for the Broncos' offense.

That can have a trickle-down effect, helping Nix in other areas where the critics come down hard on him.

When Nix doesn’t have the time to read the defense or make the requisite adjustments pre-snap, it could result in him taking the shorter throws instead of pushing the ball, leading to the ninth-lowest average depth of target and fourth-lowest yards per attempt in 2025. Not having that time to make pre-snap reads and find possible openings downfield can lead to dumpoffs to backs or the under receiver.

The Takeaway

With Webb at the helm, there may be bumps in the road, but getting the play calls in quicker will allow Nix's football IQ to shine, which we haven’t always been able to see over the past two years. In some ways, you could say Payton was holding Nix back, which is a shame because he is a great play-caller, but not getting the calls in quickly enough definitely hurt.

This isn’t to shame Payton; he is going to help Webb and be the bright coach he is to help when and where he can. There may be times we still get to see Payton's situational play-calling brilliance factor in, especially in the red zone.

Together, they're going to help Nix silence the critics, but of course, the quarterback's play has to do all the talking, and it's a safe bet that he will let it do just that this year.

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