{"id":680349,"date":"2026-01-15T22:49:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T22:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/680349\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T22:49:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T22:49:19","slug":"broncos-vs-bills-r-j-harvey-could-be-bo-nixs-best-outlet-in-divisional-round","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/680349\/","title":{"rendered":"Broncos vs. Bills: R.J. Harvey could be Bo Nix\u2019s best outlet in Divisional Round"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now that we\u2019re full-on into the playoffs, it\u2019s time to stop looking in the rearview with our Secret Superstars series<\/a>, and start looking forward to the next game with Postseason X-Factors. The principle is the same \u2014 using game tape and metrics to uncover those hidden gems for every team who are primed to bring their best when their franchises need it the most.<\/p>\n

The Denver Broncos are the AFC\u2019s one-seed based on a ferocious defense and a complementary, balanced offense in its own way. One issue that could upend the Broncos on the path to their first Super Bowl berth in a decade is Bo Nix\u2019s response to the Buffalo Bills\u2019 pressure packages in the divisional round. Here\u2019s where one rookie could make all the difference. <\/p>\n

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has enjoyed a fine second NFL season for the most part, but one thing that has to have head coach and offensive shot-caller Sean Payton concerned as the Broncos\u2019 postseason journey begins is how Nix has done against pressure. This season, Nix has completed 89 of 176 passes when pressured for 818 yards, seven touchdowns, six interceptions, and a passer rating of 67.9. Among quarterbacks who have started at least 50% of their teams\u2019 snaps, only Joe Flacco, Jordan Love, Geno Smith, and Cam Ward had lower passer ratings in the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

While the Buffalo Bills, Denver\u2019s divisional round opponent, don\u2019t have one alpha pass-rusher, they manage to disrupt opposing quarterbacks just fine as a group. Their 35.1% pressure rate ranks 12th in the NFL, and fifth among the remaining playoff teams. Buffalo\u2019s 37 sacks? That\u2019s a bottom-third number, but when you can get enough pressure against a quarterback like Nix who would really prefer that you didn\u2019t, that can be enough to end plays, drives, and games.<\/p>\n

The obvious answer for Payton is to give Nix quick reads to get the ball out, and in second-round rookie R.J. Harvey, Payton has an able assistant. Throughout his time as an NFL head coach, Payton has always been great in utilizing smaller, quicker, versatile backs who can function equally in the run and pass games. Harvey has qualified in his inaugural campaign with 540 yards and seven touchdowns on 146 carries, and 47 catches on 57 targets for 356 yards and five touchdowns. At 5\u20199\u201d and 208 pounds, Harvey isn\u2019t your typical bellcow back, but when Payton and the Broncos got him, you had a pretty good idea how he\u2019d be used.<\/p>\n

Harvey has been a great outlet receiver when Nix is under pressure, and that could be a Very Big Thing in Saturday\u2019s game. When pressured this season, Nix has thrown to Harvey eight times for eight completions, 77 yards, and two touchdowns. Not huge numbers, but in a one-and-done game, the quality of plays matter more than the quantity.<\/p>\n

And Harvey is capable of more than your basic running back routes. In Week 9 against the Houston Texans\u2019 demonic pass rush, a pressured Nix hit Harvey for a 27-yard touchdown pass with 12:34 left in the game. That and a two-point conversion pass to Troy Franklin changed the score from 15-7 in Houston\u2019s favor to a tie game, and Wil Lutz\u2019s 34-yard field goal as time elapsed put an 18-15 Denver win in the books.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, last night we didn\u2019t do the school songs,\u201d Payton said postgame of this play. \u201cWe had every one of their family members call in on the video and each one said, \u2018Hey, this is your play, go make it.\u2019 So, he gets the video award. It\u2019s a pirate route. We got the right coverage. We set it up after halfback choice, and all of a sudden take off. We\u2019re just starting to see right in front of our eyes, [Harvey] is the guy that we felt strongly about, and he can go. He and [running back J.K.] Dobbins, that one-two combination is nice to have as a coach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another example of Harvey\u2019s route acumen came against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day. Nix wasn\u2019t pressured here as he was booting out to the right, but Harvey did a great job staying with Nix on the one-yard touchdown with 1:45 left in the game that made the difference in a 20-13 Broncos win.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was covered initially, then he climbed,\u201d Payton said postgame of that one. \u201cHe has receiver skill sets that are \u2013 I couldn\u2019t see the angle and I heard the cheer. I said, \u2018Please tell me that isn\u2019t an interception\u2019. It was loud enough where I didn\u2019t know if it was the Kansas City cheer. Fortunately, it was the Bronco cheer. I am sure it was a heck of a throw and catch. To score seven greatly changes the dynamic with their kicker. You know how the kicking game is. You are starting at the 35[-yard line] average. It greatly changed the outcome of the game, that they needed a touchdown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trust us, Coach \u2014 it was a great route and adjustment.<\/p>\n

With their defense, the Broncos don\u2019t need Bo Nix to go out there and be Superman \u2014 they need him to manage the game, provide the occasional explosive play, and avoid mistakes. Job One for Nix\u2019s coaches is to give him reads and openings under pressure that won\u2019t break the machine, and R.J. Harvey has already proven that he can get it done in those circumstances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Now that we\u2019re full-on into the playoffs, it\u2019s time to stop looking in the rearview with our Secret…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":680350,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2048],"tags":[215,214,53,2086,57069,2431,7,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-680349","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-buffalo-bills","8":"tag-bills","9":"tag-buffalo","10":"tag-buffalo-bills","11":"tag-buffalobills","12":"tag-denver-broncos-film","13":"tag-denver-broncos-roster","14":"tag-football","15":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115901560619308018","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=680349"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680349\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/680350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=680349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=680349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=680349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}