Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix got a true initiation into the world of NFL comebacks, facing none other than Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. For most of the game, Nix and the Broncos held their own, even taking an early lead and keeping Kansas City on the defensive. But with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Mahomes orchestrated a comeback, leading his team to a last-gasp victory.

The Broncos were up 14-3 late in the second quarter before Kansas City rallied with 13 unanswered points, ultimately pulling off a narrow 16-14 win. The game ended in dramatic fashion as the Chiefs blocked a 35-yard field goal attempt by Will Lutz in the final moments, sealing Kansas City’s unbeaten season streak.

Following the game, Mahomes offered words of praise for Nix, acknowledging the rookie’s impressive performance.

“Way to play your a** off,” Mahomes said. “Keep leading those dudes. It’s just the first one, we got a lot of these things.”

Stood out against Mahomes’ Chiefs

Nix finished with a solid stat line, completing 22 of 30 passes for 220 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, achieving a 115.3 passer rating.

This game marked his third time hitting 70 percent or better in pass completions and throwing multiple touchdowns with zero turnovers.

In terms of rookie quarterbacks, Nix’s stats place him at the top for passing touchdowns (10) and near the top in both passing yards (1,968) and passer rating (84.1), trailing only a few others in each category.

“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.”