Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (#87) walked the tunnel ahead of the team’s Week 10 matchup against the Denver Broncos, where the Chiefs clinched a victory that moved the Broncos to 5-5. The game’s decisive moment came down to a blocked field goal, sealing the win for Kansas City.
Despite the loss, Denver’s rookie quarterback Bo Nix impressed, completing 73.3% of his passes for 215 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, a three-time MVP, finished the game with a 66.7% completion rate, throwing for 266 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.
Nix’s performance earned admiration from Mahomes’ trusted target, All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce.
“Bo Nix, holy s***. That guy was f****** ripping it out there yesterday,” Kelce said on the “New Heights” podcast with his brother, former Eagles center Jason Kelce, on November 14. “Playing some good f****** football, man.”
Chase Daniel, Kelce’s former teammate and retired quarterback, also sees big potential for Nix.
Since throwing two interceptions in each of Denver’s first two games, Nix has turned things around. Over recent weeks, he’s completed 64.7% of his passes for 1,584 yards, 10 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. He’s also rushed for 230 yards and three touchdowns on 52 carries and even caught a touchdown from wide receiver Courtland Sutton, as head coach Sean Payton makes use of Nix’s athletic versatility.
Broncos rookie Bo Nix (#10) prepares to pass in a game against the Chiefs.
“Nix is on pace to break a longstanding franchise record,” wrote Zack Kelberman for Denver Broncos on SI on November 13. “The third rookie in team history to record over 10 passing touchdowns, Nix is now five scores away from surpassing Marlin Briscoe’s single-season rookie record from 1968.”
While Denver’s offense still has some inconsistencies, the praise for Nix’s improvement is growing. Bleacher Report’s James Palmer noted that Nix is seen as the second-best quarterback in his draft class, behind only Jayden Daniels.
“He’s played really, really well,” Palmer said. “The fit with Sean Payton has been great. Each week, they’re figuring out more ways to leverage Nix’s skills.”
Nix’s contributions have been vital. Entering Week 10, he ranked second in plays of 20+ yards among all players with 33, trailing only Lamar Jackson. Palmer added, “He had Mahomes beat on that final drive. He did everything right.” Still, Denver’s offense needs to boost their second-half production, as they’ve struggled to put up points after halftime. But overall, Denver couldn’t be happier with Nix’s progress.
Denver head coach Sean Payton on the sidelines before the game against Kansas City.
Kelce also acknowledged the Broncos’ defense, specifically coordinator Vance Joseph’s impact.
“Their front seven is intense, mixing up blitzes and moving fast,” Kelce said. “Their middle linebacker, 55 [Cody Barton], flies around. 40 [Justin Strnad], their backers are super athletic, well-coached.”
He praised Joseph directly after the game, calling the matchup “an honor” and one of the NFL’s toughest challenges. Barton, in particular, made a game-saving play by stopping a touchdown on a missed field goal return from Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman.
Kelce also showed respect for Payton’s offensive strategies.
“Sean Payton’s got those guys motivated and playing great ball on the offensive side too,” he added.
