Jackson, who has seen his role increase late in his rookie season, faced Nix twice in his four years at Texas A&M when Nix was playing the final two seasons of his stint at Auburn in 2020 and 2021. Texas A&M won both of those games, and Jackson looks forward to another chance to send Nix home with a loss.
“He’s a tough quarterback, a great one,” Jackson said. “He’s kind of a running back in a quarterback’s body. A quarterback with running back-caliber legs, so I give him his props. He’s a very good ball player, and he’s helping his team do great things. But, you know, he’s the next opponent we have to face, so it’s just the next opportunity to get where we want to go.”
The Broncos selected Nix at No. 12 overall in the 2024 draft, and 15 games into his NFL career, he has the Broncos sitting in line for a playoff position as the projected No. 7 seed in the AFC. A win for Saturday clinches a playoff a spot. Denver’s stingy defense has played a big role in that, but Nix seems to be progressing well in his rookie season and he’s doing enough to keep the Broncos in a good spot.
Nix, who finished his college career at Oregon, has 3,235 yards and 22 touchdowns with 11 interceptions on 64.3 percent passing, but his athleticism on the run is what makes him such a challenge for opposing defenses. He adds 352 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 78 carries.
“They do a good job running the ball,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “He’s good on the ‘nakeds,’ uses his feet to take off. I’ve seen him make a lot of plays as a drop-back passer, as well, as a rookie. I just think as the season has gone you’ve seen that confidence really increase. He’s got a good understanding of their offense. They’ve got good packages off their run games with their screens and their ‘nakeds’ and all that stuff. He’s been an efficient player for them.”
Jackson remembers one play his freshman year in 2020 when Nix broke two sacks and made a throw downfield to help Auburn pull ahead in the third quarter. Texas A&M responded and finished out the game with 17 unanswered points for the 31-20 win, but that play stands out to Jackson even now because he will be trying to chase down Nix in that same way Saturday and hoping for his first sack on the shifty quarterback.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The Bengals’ third-round draft pick recorded his first NFL sack on Sunday in the win over the Browns, and Cincinnati has been counting on young players like him and fellow rookie defensive tackle Kris Jenkins to step up since defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins has been out for more than a month with a viral illness.
“It’s a next-man-up game, so I hate the situation for Sheldon, because he’s a great guy and a great player, but I’ve been prepped to be put in the fire and produce,” Jackson said. “I just want to show I’m a team player, that I belong in this league and I’m a force to be reckoned with. I’m here to win games and help us get in the best situation possible.”
The Bengals’ pass rush had been almost non-existent outside of Trey Hendrickson this season before the defense combined for a season-high 5.0 sacks on Sunday. Jenkins led with two, while Jackson, Joseph Ossai and Hendrickson each had one.
Cincinnati defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said the pass rush is seeing improvement with help from the secondary’s coverage tightening up and forcing quarterbacks to hold onto the ball longer looking for an open receiver. Development of young players like Jackson and Jenkins has played a factor, too, though. The game Sunday marked just the third time in franchise history that a pair of rookies teamed up on three or more sacks.
“That’s great news for the future,” Anarumo said.
Nix will be a good test Saturday because he’s not as prone to making as many mistakes as one might expect from a rookie quarterback. The 24-year-old played 61 games in college and that experience shows, Anarumo said.
“I just think he’s a mature guy first and foremost,” Anarumo said. “I think you don’t see him get flustered. As I mentioned earlier in the week, coach (Sean) Payton does a great job obviously developing those guys, and you can see his development throughout the year just knowing where to go with the ball, getting it out on time. I think that’s the biggest thing with some of the younger guys is they tend not to see it as well and they hold the ball. He’s doing a good job getting it out where you’re supposed to get it to and really doing a great job running the offense.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Broncos at Bengals, 4:30 p.m., NFL Network, Fox 19, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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