As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for their second matchup against Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo found himself comparing part of Nix's game to one of the NFL's best quarterbacks—Josh Allen.
In particular, Spagnuolo saw similarities between Nix and Allen as runners. "This might sound really shocking, but when he tucks it and runs, I get visions of Josh Allen," Spagnuolo said Friday. "He can go, and he's a pretty good sized guy too ... There's that whole feature. We've got to get better at containing, controlling us with their feet."
Nix has proven to be an effective scrambler for the Broncos this season. In an early-season game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Nix evaded what should have been a sack from Bud Dupree and turned the play into a 21-yard scramble. He had another impressive scramble weeks earlier in his breakout game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Even when he is not running for first downs, Nix is establishing himself as a stronger thrower on the run. In the Broncos game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Nix's game-tying touchdown at the end of regulation came while he was scurrying away from pressure. Per Next Gen Stats, Nix is one of the leaders in completions on the run this season.
Over his rookie season, Nix has rushed for 385 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Still, comparing his rushing ability to Allen at this point is lofty. Allen is one of the best rushing quarterbacks in the entire NFL, and has rushed for at least 500 yards in all but one of his seven NFL seasons.
Allen's rushing ability has surely challenged Spagnuolo ahead of the classic Bills-Chiefs matchups. Since Spagnuolo became the Chiefs defensive coordinator in 2019, Allen has rushed for 448 yards and five touchdowns in eight games against him. In the Week 11 Bills-Chiefs matchup, Allen sealed the win with a 26-yard rushing touchdown.
Both Allen and Nix have impressed with their legs, but at this point, Allen's dual-threat ability is at a higher level.
