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DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 04: Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos looks on before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field At Mile High on January 04, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)

Bo Nix has been incredible all season for the Broncos. 

He’s thrown for over 3900 yards and has 25 touchdowns with an additional 356 yards and five more touchdowns on the ground. 

But one detail highlighted this week by The Athletic adds a layer of concern in the Divisional Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills. 

In a breakdown shared by Ted Nguyen of The Athletic, Nix has a history of struggles against disguised coverages.

According to Pro Football Focus data cited in the report, Nix posted a negative EPA per dropback when defenses rotated late between one-high and two-high looks. 

This is a tendency Buffalo leans into more than almost any team in the postseason. 

As the piece noted, the Bills disguise coverage on roughly 40 percent of snaps, well above the league average. 

This makes them a uniquely difficult matchup for a young quarterback still learning to diagnose post-snap movement.

That context helps explain why some around the league view this as Nix’s toughest test yet.

Why Bo Nix’s Biggest Weakness Matches Buffalo’s Strength

The concern isn’t Nix’s talent or his ability to perform well in the clutch. 

It’s more about processing speed against late rotations and disguises. 

Nix has shown flashes of elite anticipation, but when defenses bait him pre-snap and rotate after the ball is snapped, his efficiency dips noticeably. 

Buffalo thrives in that area. 

Sean McDermott’s defense is built to blur reads, disguise safety intentions, and force quarterbacks to hesitate just long enough for pressure to arrive. 

Even without overwhelming sack totals, the Bills’ ability to affect throwing lanes and disguise leverage has led to many turnovers and other poor decisions. 

That’s where the matchup becomes dangerous. 

Nix has been excellent when the picture is clear and the rhythm is on schedule. 

However, against disguise-heavy looks, he’s been more conservative, quicker to check down, and less willing to attack intermediate windows. 

This is exactly what Buffalo wants. 

If Denver becomes one-dimensional and asks Nix to win purely from the pocket against rotating coverages, the advantage could tilt toward the Bills. 

Broncos Game Plan Could Make the Difference 

The flip side is that Nix won’t be walking into this matchup blind. 

The Broncos have had two weeks to prepare. 

This is massive as Sean Payton and Nix have had extra time to prepare against the challenging Bills defense. 

In last season’s playoff meeting with Buffalo, Nix quietly made his biggest impact extending drives with his legs. 

That element could again be important to Denver’s plan.

The Broncos may also lean heavily on the ground game. 

They should prioritize attacking a Bills run defense that has struggled all season. 

Buffalo finished near the bottom of the league in yards per carry allowed and EPA per designed run, giving up explosive gains both inside and on the edge. 

The Bills gave up an average of 137.2 yards per game in 2025, which was 28th in the NFL. 

If Denver commits to the run, uses Nix’s mobility, and forces Buffalo to play honest up front, the disguise becomes less of an issue. 

Nix will look to prove Ted Nguyen and the rest of the world wrong on Saturday. 

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