Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix leads TD drive in preseason debut vs. Colts

INDIANAPOLIS — If you’re just tuning into Broncos football this summer, Bo Nix provided a helpful catchup Sunday in his first snaps as a professional.

Denver’s rookie quarterback, the No. 12 overall pick in April’s draft, took the field late in the first quarter and engineered a debut drive that featured a little bit of everything he’s shown so far in training camp — good, bad and otherwise.

The good: A 22-yard strike on the run to his left to Courtland Sutton. A well-placed ball into the corner of the end zone for Josh Reynolds. A blitz-beating first-down throw to Reynolds that showed Nix’s quick processing and release.

The bad: He put tight end Greg Dulcich in a dangerous spot with his first throw up the seam and nearly saw the pass picked off. Nix continued a troubling training camp taboo when he fumbled a snap from Luke Wattenberg and, though he pounced on it, the mistake contributed to his first drive stalling out.

The otherwise: Nix handled the huddle well even with the stadium clocks malfunctioning and looked equal parts calm in the pocket and a little amped up — like a fastball of a screen pass to Jaleel McLaughlin that had too much hot sauce.

The first drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, a field goal and the full buffet of Life as a Rookie QB in the NFL.

Another similarity to training camp: The 24-year-old rookie is a quick study.

Nix quickly settled in and led a touchdown drive on his second series, showing a combination of wheels — three carries for 17 yards, including a third-down scramble conversion and a nifty designed run — and timing in the passing game. He capped it with a crisp 1-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims Jr. to the left front pylon.