Broncos four downs: Bo Nix is back, baby! Good thing, as Vic Fangio, Philly await.

Sean Keeler, The Denver Post on Sep 29, 2025

Published in Football

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

DENVER — Initial thoughts from the Broncos’ 28-3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4 at Empower Field:

— Bo’s back!: He read the rush. He set his feet. And that second-quarter laser to Marvin Mims Jr. for 28 yards on the two-minute drill? Chef’s kiss. Bo Nix is back, baby! Probably. We think. The second-year QB1 eased at least some doubters’ minds with a three-score night against hapless Cincinnati, collecting 326 passing yards on 29 completions. Imagine what those numbers would’ve looked like if old pal Troy Franklin hadn’t dropped two catchable balls, including a deep shot early in the fourth quarter. The difficulty level cranks up about 12 notches next week in Philly, but as a “get-right” game, Broncos Country couldn’t have asked for much more.

— Give Dobbins the rock!: Broncos RB1 J.K. Dobbins got Sean Payton a 100-yard rusher for the first time in Denver — but it could’ve been more. The ex-Chargers bell cow touched the ball 11 times in the first three quarters for 58 yards of total offense. You know how many times he touched the ball in the Cincinnati red zone? Zero. On the Broncos’ fourth drive, the one that ended with a contested Nix pick, the Broncos ran five plays inside the 17 and Dobbins, who was averaging six yards per carry at the time, didn’t see the rock once.

— Evan Engram = Enigma: Whomever the Broncos’ free-agent tight end is supposed to be, four games in, he’s nowhere near there yet. With three minutes left in the third quarter, the former Jacksonville star had logged three catches for 18 yards, with no gain longer than nine. Through his first 11 quarters in Denver, Engram had accumulated just seven grabs for 51 yards. Throw in 12 targets in those 11 quarters, and the ex-Ole Miss standout is averaging 4.2 yards anytime Bo Nix has looked to get him the ball.

— Broncos Country gets a game ball on MNF: The orange cards flashing in the south end zone looked amazing in person and even better on national TV. But our favorite Empower Field moment came on the Bengals’ initial drive of what became a hysterically inept second quarter for Cincy. Broncomaniacs were so loud, they accounted for almost as many net yards on the Bengals’ series — 15 in infractions because of the noise — as the visitors managed in total offense (25). Loud and proud, baby. Loud and proud.

____