Pro Bowl Defender Sends Clear Message About Bo Nix Before Broncos Wild Card Game

Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos will take on the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card. A legitimate candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, Nix has earned the respect of his teammates and even opponents in his first season.

Las Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby is among the most notable.

Crosby saw Nix at different points in the season. Both times, the Broncos emerged the victors, despite Crosby’s best efforts.

“I think it’s done a hell of a job,” Crosby said in a clip from the “Let’s Go!” podcast shared on January 8. “From the mental side – like I don’t know him personally. I’ve met him a couple of times. And, obviously, on the field, I’m berating him with not only my words but also me throwing him around veery time I see him. But he’s tough, you know what I mean? He doesn’t react.

“I was mic’d up, and they cut that whole clip of me discussing certain things with him, going after him. And he just kind of was looking at me. And I was like, ‘Okay, he’s actually – he’s got some b**** to him.”

Nix and the Broncos went on to score 34 unanswered points after that in a 34-18 win in Week 5.

“He didn’t cower down.”

Bo Nix Gets Honest About Maxx Crosby’s Comments in Broncos Win

As much as Crosby respected Nix’s stoicism in the face of his attempted mind game, the Broncos QB said it was more about the zone he was in than sending a message to Crosby.

“I didn’t even hear it when it happened in the game,” Nix admitted to reporters on October 9. “Obviously, been said a lot. Seen the video after. But I think that’s just part of his game. I think he’s mastered that and tried to use it to his success.

“I think it’s important and things like that happen, you just kind of come back and get back to basics and not necessarily listen to it. Just kind of cut out the noise and just go to work. And at the time, we weren’t doing a whole lot offensively. So it was good that we turned it around in the second half.”

Nix and the Broncos scored 21 of their 34 points scored in that contest after the break

Nix also got the better of Crosby – who sacked him 2.0 times in the first meeting – in their second meeting in Week 12, avoiding the three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher.

In two games against the Raiders, Nix completed 63.7% of his passes for 479 yards and 4 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. The Raiders sacked him 4 times; more than by any other teams except the Baltimore Ravens (one game) and Los Angeles Chargers (across two games).

Broncos Big Underdogs Entering Wild Card Game vs Bills

The Broncos will take on 2024 MVP candidate Josh Allen and the 13-4 Bills on Sunday, January 12. Denver enters the contest as a significant underdog.

FanDuel has set the spread at 8.5 points as of January 8.

The Broncos lost in Weeks 16 and 17 before notching a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, who were resting their starters, in Week 18. The Bills had won three straight before dropping their finale against the New England Patriots while resting their starters.