Bo Nix’s NFL debut left plenty to be desired.
In what marked the first start of his professional career, the Denver Broncos rookie quarterback completed 26 of his 42 pass attempts for 138 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in a 26-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Nix’s second interception seemingly sealed the Broncos’ fate, with Tariq Woolen picking off his pass attempt from Seattle’s 49-yard line with 5:37 remaining in the game, which the Seahawks led 26-13 at the time.
Nix clearly didn’t see Woolen coming, but the same couldn’t be said for Adam Archuleta. Calling the Week 1 matchup for CBS alongside Spero Dedes, the former NFL safety let out an emphatic “oh no!” before the Oregon product’s pass attempt had even landed in Woolen’s hands.
*Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix lets the ball go*
"Oh no." – Adam Archuleta
*Bo Nix pass intercepted by the Seahawks*
"You cannot attempt that pass in the National Football League and think that you're gonna get away with it." – Archuleta 🏈🎙️#NFL pic.twitter.com/KADtUtEDPh
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 8, 2024
This wasn’t a prophetic Tony Romo-like prediction of what was about to happen on the field, so much as it was Archuleta reacting to the horror of the inevitable as it unfolded in front of him. Rewatching his call of Nix’s second interception, the former St. Louis Rams standout began to let out his “oh no!” just as the ball crossed the Seahawks’ 40-yard line — more than five yards before Woolen hauled in the errant pass.
While his head might have been spinning from the first official game of his NFL career, one would imagine that Nix knew it was a bad throw nearly immediately after it left his hand too. While CBS’ broadcast view of the game is limited, it’s clear that Woolen was standing in front of the rookie quarterback’s intended target, wide receiver Courtland Sutton, before the ball had even crossed Seattle’s 40-yard line.
Despite the interception giving Seattle possession with a two-score lead and just more than five minutes remaining in the game, Denver did get the ball back and scored a touchdown to cut the Seahawks’ advantage to six points, which proved to be too little too late. All things considered, Nix’s debut wasn’t a disaster, but it was also wasn’t one to remember either, as Archuleta’s call of his second INT said it all.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.