Eagles Will Be Looking To Prey On Conflicted Bo Nix

PHILADELPHIA - Second-year Broncos quarterback Bo Nix believes he has a good understanding of what might be waiting for him in Philadelphia this weekend with Vic Fangio’s well-regarded defensive unit, something based on what the young quarterback sees all summer at training camp.

“I kind of feel like it’s similar to watching VJ’s (Broncos Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph) defense,” Nix said earlier this week. “I think they come from the same tree. They obviously rely heavily on their front seven. They do a good job of flowing to the ball, getting pressure without bringing blitzes, and they keep everything in front of them in the back end.

“It’s going to be a challenge to find explosive plays.”

That challenge is what Nix and his 2-2 Broncos will meet against the 4-0 Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, where Philadelphia has won a venue record 10 straight. Meanwhile, in the Nick Sirianni era, the Eagles are 28-5 (.848 winning percentage), the second-best mark in the NFL since 2021.

“I’ve said this before, generally speaking, the really good teams probably play well at home,” Denver coach Sean Payton said. “Then the teams that aren’t as good probably don’t play as consistently well at home. I think it’s the chicken before [the egg]… Now it’s a hard place to play, but it’s a good team. It’s a Super Bowl champion.

“It’s not unusual to have a home stretch like that. It’s not unusual if you look at the Super Bowl champions in the past for that team to have won all their home games. That’s not unusual. So I think it’s a credit to the team, and the organization, and then couple that with a tough environment. You got what you got. You have a Lombardi Trophy, and you have confidence in all those other things.”

The Challenge

Eagles DC Vic Fangio speaks at the NovaCare Complex on Aug. 9, 2025. | John McMullen/Eagles On SI

It’s Payton’s job to make sure Nix is ready for what Fangio, a good friend of the Broncos’ coach, will throw at an inexperienced signal caller still trying to feel his way through the daily grind of the NFL.

“He likes tempo, tempo to the line [early in games]” Payton said when discussing his QB. “Certainly, last week [against Cincinnati] I think we had two or three third-down conversions with tempo. He’s at the line with 26 seconds now instead of breaking the huddle with eight.

“You adapt because that’s something that a lot of these college quarterbacks are… Reducing the verbiage and getting to where we can call plays with just one name, one syllable. Those are some of the things that have changed.”

Fangio will force Nix to stay disciplined.

“It’s [about] not getting bored, continuing to do the same stuff over and over throughout the game,” Nix said. “When [the play is] there, you also have to be able to hit it. They’ll give us our opportunities, we’ve got to hit it, but at the same time, we’re going to have to work for them.”

Nix’s DNA, however, includes the willingness to press at times to make plays, and Fangio compared the Oregon/Auburn product to Tampa Bay QB Baker Mayfield.

“He's a lot like Baker Mayfield,” Fangio said. “I think he might be Baker's younger brother. Really good, really, really good.”

Nix highlighted his mindset when asked about the Eagles’ fifth-ranked red-zone defense.

“I think patience is good, but at the same time, there are several times throughout the game you’re going to be aggressive,” Nix said. “It’s our job, my job as a quarterback, our job as an offense to pick those times and pick them wisely.

“When we have them, we got to be able to hit them and execute them.”

The trick is balancing that line.

Mayfield went over it last week and ultimately threw an interception in the end zone on a first-down play in the fourth quarter that cost Tampa Bay while trying to rally in last week’s 31-25 Eagles’ win over the Bucs.

“When we don’t [have an opportunity], run, scramble, find an outlet, whatever that may be, not get a negative play, don’t take a sack, throw away is good in this situation, live to fight another day,” Nix said. “Patience is good for any offense. But at the same time, eventually you’ve got to attack them.”

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