Vance Joseph Says Bo Nix Has Taken a Big Step in One Crucial Area

It's been a heated training camp thus far at Denver Broncos HQ.

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph called it "very competitive" after Day 8's scrimmage. Emotions are high, tempers have flared, and each side of the ball wants oh so badly to win the day.

Within that setting we have third-year quarterback Bo Nix returning from the ankle injury that sidelined him for the AFC championship game. Nix's mobility has not been limited at camp, that's for sure, but there are other aspects of his game that seem to have taken a leap forward.

Nix's supposedly subpar deep-ball accuracy was one of the common tropes we heard from the national media types during the offseason. The ubiquitous lists and quarterback rankings that serve as offseason fodder often featured a blurb about Nix's deep ball as part of the justification for placing him as, say, the 17th-best quarterback in the NFL.

Suffice it to say, Nix's deep ball has been on full display in Broncos camp, and the results he's getting have impressed his veteran defensive coordinator.

"Bo’s played well. He’s been accurate. He’s moving very well," Joseph said on Saturday. "That’s a great sign, but his deep-ball touch has been really off the charts this training camp."

A Focus on Explosives

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) during training camp at Broncos Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Broncos' offense lacked an abundance of explosive plays last season. Nix and company made do and found their way, relying on their fourth-quarter poise to often come out on top, and he nearly passed for 4,000 yards.

Head coach Sean Payton wants more down-the-field passing and explosive plays, though, so the Broncos acquired Jaylen Waddle via trade in March. With new offensive coordinator Davis Webb calling the plays, this camp certainly feels like it has featured more downfield passing, and Nix has been capitalizing on those opportunities with accurate throws.

"I know Sean wants to make more big plays this year, and it’s there. It’s happened in training camp," Joseph said. "It’s been two a day. I don’t like it for our defense, but I get it."

Nix has hit all of his receivers down the field, including Waddle, before he went down with a soft-tissue injury on Day 5 of camp. Tight end Evan Engram has been one of the early beneficiaries of Nix's downfield push.

Joseph loves the implications for the Broncos, even though these big camp plays come at the expense of his unit. Still, Joseph can still hold his head up high, as the Broncos' defense continues to win day after day of pracitce.

"Big-picture-wise, it’s so good for our team to watch him be so explosive with Waddle and Evan and those guys," Joseph said of Nix. "It’s been competitive. It’s been a great camp on both sides, and both are playing well."

Iron Sharpens Iron

The defense has been outstanding in camp, which is what you expect. Joseph's unit has been one of the NFL's best over the past two years, and the format of training camp tends to favor defense, especially early on amid offensive installs and new personnel change-over.

But the Broncos' offense hasn't backed down. There's been a heavy emphasis on the ground game, which will help build the callus Payton and Joseph are looking for, while putting in the physical work to unlock the rushing attack come September and beyond.

Nix's deep-ball touch has been great. The volume of deep passes has been higher in this camp. And Nix's throwing motion even looks a bit more polished; it's clearly something he worked on during the offseason.

Nix has relished the opportunity to go against Joseph's defense in his third training camp. The young quarterback has an 'iron sharpens iron' philosophy on the topic, even if the Broncos' defense leaves him frustrated at times.

"It’s been great," Nix said on Monday. "When you get these reps, we’re seeing every defensive structure imaginable — safeties going everywhere, blitzes coming from everywhere, fronts from everywhere.

"That helps you as a quarterback get your eyes up and slows the game down when you get into a game setting. For me, it’s been irreplaceable to go against V.J., not only his defense, but also being able to ask him questions and understand the why behind certain things. It’s helped me as a quarterback in our system to see things and find different answers within what we do."

The Takeaway

When it comes to the possibility of Nix taking a third-year leap, all the markers are there thus far. The success he's having as a down-the-field passer has been impressive, and the arsenal around him looks much improved, not just because of the new faces but also because the young receivers have shown tremendous growth this summer.

The experience Nix and the offense are getting by going into the teeth of Joseph's unit will toughen and wisen them up. It's football resistance training of the highest order.

Now, if the Broncos can get to the bottom of all these soft-tissue injuries that have plagued them since the pads went on, this team's valuable training-camp reps would only become that much more valuable.

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