I believe with perfect faith that although he may tarry, the Denver Broncos quarterback will come. In fact, he is here. That’s right, I am a Bo-liever and I trust in Bo-ses to bring us to the Promised Land.
The beginning of each year is an opportunity and a requirement to engage in a careful accounting for our actions in the interest of growing beyond who we have been into the people we might become.
Under such deep scrutiny, the underwhelming performance of the Broncos’ first-team offense during the preseason might have understandably left some feeling uncertain and questioning their faith. That is why I prepared this Guide for the Perplexed, drawing from the sources that we all turn to in times of worry to find strength and inspiration.
In Pirkei Avot (5:22), Ben Bag Bag said of the Torah, “turn it and turn it, for all is contained within it.” Truth. Though he did not know it precisely when he said it, Ben Bag Bag foresaw that from Torah we would be able to learn even the traits that define the greatness of an NFL quarterback. The signposts for the completion of the journey we are on with Bo Nix are found there with two such signs already apparent while only the third remains waiting to be revealed.
“A bush was burning, but it was not consumed” (Ex. 3:2).
The moment when Bo Nix arrived was last season when he blew up at Sean Payton on the sideline during a home game with the Raiders. Football is an emotional game with a fine line between constructive and destructive passion.
Football coaches often talk about “poise,” which really means exerting intellectual control over animal passion and reflex.
In any profession, it is all too easy to be ruled by frustration and anger or to fall into despair when things do not go as well as we hoped.
Amidst this miasma of emotion, moments come when we can lose control and engage in destructive outbursts in which the fire consumes us.
Or, we can remain poised, permitting a display of passion to demonstrate that we are principled enough to stand our ground, even angrily, but without allowing the flames to engulf our relationships.
Bo Nix illustrated the latter during last season’s outburst. It was apparent that after some early-season struggles, his confidence was growing, and a moment arrived when he could push back against his coach to begin asserting his own identity as a player. Critically, immediately after blowing up at Payton, Nix returned to the field and played better.
This ability to burn white hot when the situation demands it while remaining poised to limit the destructive impulses of anger is a key trait of great NFL quarterbacks and it looks like Bo Nix definitely has it.
“Each tribe said I am not going into the sea first, [but] Nachshon ben Amminadav jumped and descended into the sea.”
This famous Midrash about Nachshon stepping forward into the Sea of Reeds before the water parted is crucial to understanding how to play quarterback in the NFL. When facing danger, the natural reaction is to back away from the threat.
It is counter-intuitive to step into the surging tide, but stepping forward is exactly what a pro quarterback must do.
As large, ferocious men bear down, the path to safety is found by stepping forward with eyes focused downfield without looking down at the rush or searching for an escape route. The quarterback has to trust that when moving forward, his blockers will use the momentum of his pursuers to take them upfield, parting the sea to allow him an open spot from which to throw and succeed.
That step forward is an act of courage and of faith. It is a behavior that is an unnatural characteristic of a person set on a course to convert the seemingly miraculous into reality.
Even last month in New Orleans, when things did not exactly go to plan, on a 3rd & 8 in the first quarter, Bo Nix can be seen evading the rush by stepping into danger before flipping the ball to Tyler Badie for a first down. That’s Nachson in action on the gridiron.
“We looked to ourselves as grasshoppers and so we must have looked to them” (Nu. 13:33).
Moses was commanded to send people to scout the Land of Israel and chose for this purpose men who were considered “leaders among the Israelites,” yet they demurred when faced with the challenge of taking hold of the Promised Land.
The ultimate test of any great leader is whether they have the ability to inspire others to rise above their perceived limitations to attain new heights of success that they previously imagined to be impossible.
Even people who are talented or exceptional can fail to accomplish remarkable things because of fear or a sense of inferiority.
Greatness comes from the belief we should choose to do things because they are hard or challenging and not be dissuaded because there is a chance we might fail.
Of the exceptional people that Moses sent out, only Caleb and Joshua demonstrated their readiness to evolve beyond who they were until that moment and by embracing it, they and the Israelites were set on a momentous path.
This last test is the one that awaits Bo Nix. Can he get those around him to rise to meet the difficult challenges ahead? Football success depends not only on the quarterback becoming a superstar, but on the unwillingness of the rest of the team to allow their leader to be disappointed.
Denverites should know this lesson well. It is the reason Pat Bowlen declared years ago, “This one’s for John!”
Ben Bag Bag told us where to identify the traits of the quarterback messiah we seek. I can see and foresee these qualities in Bo Nix. He is not quite there just yet, but my heart knows he will arrive soon.
Yes, I truly Bo-lieve.
© IJN 2025