Broncos win over Panthers needs to come with one Bo Nix feature

Perhaps no team in the NFL has surprised more than the Denver Broncos. Pegged by many to be one of the worst teams in the AFC, the Broncos are 4-3 through their first seven games of the season, and with a matchup against the 1-6 Carolina Panthers looming, a 5-3 record feels extremely plausible, if not likely.

While the Broncos will not catch the first-place Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West with a win this week, they do currently sit in sole possession of second place in the division and would maintain that status by taking care of business against arguably the worst team in the NFL at home.

Getting a win is crucial for the Broncos as they look to compete for a playoff spot, but more than that needs to happen. The Broncos need this Week 8 game to be the contest that sees Bo Nix, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, have a career day.

Broncos Week 8 win must include a big game from Bo Nix

Guiding a team devoid of talent in several areas to a 4-3 record as a rookie is extremely impressive, but it's not as if Bo Nix has lit the world on fire in his first seven NFL games. In fact, a case can be made that despite their record, Nix has underwhelmed for the most part.

The 24-year-old has completed 61.2 percent of his throws for 1,246 yards and five touchdowns to go along with five interceptions. He's improved ever so slightly as the season has progressed and has even opened some eyes as a runner, but he ranks 22nd among the 31 qualified NFL quarterbacks with a 49.5 QBR for a reason. He has not excelled in his rookie season.

The Broncos might be 4-3, but they rank 29th in the NFL, averaging 169.9 passing yards per game, and tied for 21st in the NFL, averaging 20.7 points per game. They're tied with the 2-5 Jacksonville Jaguars with that mark. Their defense, on the other end, ranks third in the NFL in yards against per game (282.4) and points against per game (15.1). The defense is why they are where they are record-wise.

Fortunately for Nix, this matchup against the Panthers gives him a prime opportunity to get something going offensively. The Panthers rank dead-last in the NFL, surrendering 34.7 points per game to their opponents. They also rank 25th in the NFL, surrendering 223.6 passing yards per game. Nix has passed that 223-yard mark in a game just once thus far, and that was all the way back in Week 2 in a 13-6 loss.

Getting the win is the most important thing, but seeing Nix break out in this game against a putrid defense feels like a must. If he isn't going to show out with his arm this week in a way that he has yet to do thus far, when will that breakout come? Winning the game is great, but Bo Nix showing why he was taken in the first-round of the draft would be an even bigger win.