Maybe it's just because they had the biggest upset win of the day, but what a wonderful day it was to be a fan of the Las Vegas Raiders. They went on the road and beat maybe the best team in football, re-opening a door to the possibility that Week 1's embarrassing loss to the Chargers was the exception, not the rule. It was also the first really impressive game of Brock Bowers' career, so the silver lining cliche really hits a special way today.
On top of all of that, consider the Denver Broncos. The Broncos – who tried to trick the Raiders into trading up and moving off Bowers in this year's draft – are now 0-2, largely in part to Bo Nix's performance. Nix has looked like arguably the worst QB from this year's rookie class so far, though a handful of them haven't even played yet. The concerns that literally everyone had with Nix's fit in Denver seem to be true, and after the Broncos' Week 2 loss to the Steelers, the rookie QB had some head-turning quotes. Cue up the QB crisis!
Bo Nix's latest quotes will make you appreciate the Raiders drafting Brock Bowers
#BroncosCountry LIVE: QB Bo Nix meets the media after #PITvsDEN https://t.co/gkspAPiUpy
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 15, 2024
"I think it's important to look at it from a bigger perspective," he said when asked about how he can stay confident despite the losses. "Football is just a game that we come out here and have fun playing. We make it a very, very big deal because sometimes it is. There's a lot of people out there anticipating the game and the atmosphere and wins and losses ... "
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"But I think it's important to keep good perspective and not make football your entire life. Because if you play it long enough, it'll fail you, over and over and over. It'll knock you down and beat you up. The value of playing the sport is just like life. Sometimes you've just got to keep taking hits and then you eventually figure it out, get back on your feet, and move forward."
Woooooof. And of course this is the right perspective to keep on a macro level – football is just a game, and it is smart to not make it your entire life. That sorta attitude will almost certainly help Nix in the long run, so it's commendable to see him say that as a rookie. But I dunno, man. If you're already doing the 'maybe there's life after football' routine after two (2) single games, things are bleak. Being tasked with saving whatever's left of Sean Payton's career – and reputation – really ages a man.