Stat line: 19 of 33, 216 passing yards, two touchdowns, an interception; six carries for 61 yards.
Highlight: The highlight from Nix’s performance wasn’t even a passing play. In the third quarter, Nix escaped a sack from edge rusher Bud Dupree before scrambling for an impressive 21-yard gain while pointing at linebacker Daiyan Henley as he ran out of bounds. The plays following Nix’s best run of the season: Incompletion, incompletion, delay of game, illegal formation and incompletion. In the fourth, Nix connected with wide receiver Courtland Sutton for one of the best touchdown catches of the season. Nix lofted a pass in the back of the end zone before Sutton made a diving one-handed grab for the score.
Lowlight: Nix’s worst moment on Sunday came on the first drive of the game. Facing a third-and-8, Nix threw down the field to Marvin Mims Jr., but the ball was off target and tipped off the wide receiver’s outstretched hand before being intercepted by safety Elijah Molden. The turnover kicked off a rough half of football for Denver’s rookie quarterback.
Analysis: Nix realized quickly that he wasn’t playing against the Raiders. Nix had 27 yards passing and a 9.8 rating through three quarters. In the first half, he had a passer rating of zero. Nix struggled to push the ball down the field, especially when the Broncos needed to put points on the board. His accuracy was all over the place and there were times when he held onto the ball for too long. Granted, Nix showed his competitiveness, giving the Broncos a chance down the stretch. He threw two straight touchdown passes to cut the deficit down to 10 points. If only he was able to play like that in the first half.
Unsung Hero
JK Dobbins: The Chargers running back’s comeback story has been impressive. After injuries plagued him during his time in Baltimore, he has become an impactful player in the backfield for the Chargers. On Sunday, Dobbins rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.
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Goat of the game
Ja’Quan McMillian: McMillian made a couple of costly mistakes against Los Angeles. In the first quarter, the nickel cornerback slipped in coverage, allowing a 24-yard reception to wide receiver Josh Palmer. Three plays later, Herbert connected with running back Kimani Vidal on a 38-yard touchdown pass to take a 10-0 lead. Midway through the second quarter, the Chargers were in the red zone when McMillian was flagged for defensive pass interference on third down. And when Denver needed a stop to keep its comeback hopes alive in the fourth, he was called for defensive holding, negating a fumble recovery from Malcolm Roach.
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