Bo Nix isn’t Justin Fields. He’s not going to run all over the Pittsburgh Steelers. But as a rookie without much tape, there’s a concern his legs could be a thorn in this defense’s sides.
Pittsburgh dominated Kirk Cousins. There was no one more looking forward for that game to wrap up than him. He took hit after hit, pressure after pressure, and his face braced for impact anytime T.J. Watt even breathed near him. The Steelers’ pass rush is at its best when they can attack a true pocket passer, a dying breed in today’s NFL. So long as it isn’t an elite name, Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, who simply can read a defense and get the ball out before the rush has a chance, the Steelers flourish.
Against a mobile quarterback, they tend to have more trouble. Not always, but there tends to be more frustration, as is true for most teams, I imagine. The quarterback’s run element is another consideration, another thing to deal with, an ace up the sleeve when the coverage does its job and takes everything away.
The engine of the Steelers’ defense is its pass rush. It starts with stopping the run, but that’s merely the transmission, the part that puts Pittsburgh in gear. The EDGE rushers slam the gas pedal. A statue in the pocket is a green light. Those guys can freely rush aggressively and get after the quarterback. Someone who can escape? Yellow light. You don’t stop, but you’re slowing down, worried about giving him a lane. Don’t rush too far upfield, don’t take that chance and rush inside, rush to contain instead of rushing to sack.
That thought could slow Pittsburgh’s rush down—at least a little. And Bo Nix can move and extend. It was hardly a feat, but he led the Broncos in rushing with 35 yards and their only score, a hard-earned diving play over Seattle’s goal line. Nix beat the defensive lineman to the edge, faked out another defender, and spun his way into the end zone.
Plays like that can be hard to stop when you haven’t played a guy like that in a while, especially after facing a quarterback like Cousins, who would tear his Achilles again if he even thought about trying something like that. Nix could bail the Broncos out of a third down with his legs, and his mobility can’t be underrated. Especially with his rookie invincibility mindset, pushing the envelope and sacrificing his body while it still feels good in his 20s and early in his first year.
Pittsburgh’s defense should still have success. There are plenty of reasons to believe they’ll win the day. If the Steelers can stifle Denver’s running game, which they should, Nix will be in third-and-long and strained just as Seattle’s defense did. But don’t be shocked if you’re throwing the remote down as Nix scrambles for 12 yards on a key 3rd and 8. It might be that kind of day.
