DENVER — Ahead of the Broncos’ Week 8 matchup with the Carolina Panthers, rookie quarterback Bo Nix said he still views it as a positive to be labeled a dual-threat quarterback.

That is, with one necessary caveat.

“I think it’s a compliment if they give you credit [for] throwing the ball, too,” Nix said with a laugh.

After Nix’s performance in a 28-14 win over the Panthers, that credit is sure to come.

In his best statistical performance as a pro, Nix completed 28-of-37 passes for 284 yards, three touchdowns and a 124.2 quarterback rating. He also added a touchdown on the ground via a goal-line lunge.

With the performance, Nix became the first quarterback in franchise history to throw for three touchdowns and add a score on the ground without throwing an interception, according to NFL Research. The Broncos are also now 5-0 in games in which Nix does not throw an interception.

Nix largely built his stat line in the first half, as he completed 21-of-27 passes for 220 yards and a pair of touchdowns before the break. With the game firmly in hand, Nix attempted just 10 passes in the second half.

“I think we have it in our arsenal,” Nix said Sunday of Denver’s passing performance. “We just have to go out there and execute it like we did. I thought we did a really good job of starting fast and doing it early. We caught a good rhythm there. Everybody on the field was making plays. Receivers, tight ends, running backs, it did not matter. The ball was being dispersed to a lot of positions,and I thought that was good. It is tough on a defense when we are getting all those guys the ball.”

After the Broncos fell behind 7-0, Nix led three consecutive touchdown drives — including a 92-yarder to put the Broncos ahead for good — to build a 21-7 halftime lead. Nix completed three passes of at least 23 yards, including a pair of 37-yard gains, during the first half of Sunday’s win.

“For a rookie quarterback, I think all of these are steps,” Head Coach Sean Payton said. “Confidence steps. We’ve seen it. The key is — and I’ve said it — the key is around him. Are we good enough at these other positions around him? That’s what we’re constantly looking [at]. We have to paint the picture, and when we do that, we’ll have success. We’ll move the ball. Today we were much better on third down, better in the red zone.”