Bo Nix obviously wants to win Sunday in the Broncos’ season-opener against Tennessee.
What he actually feels more acutely, though, is the threat of losing.
“I definitely hate to lose,” Denver’s second-year quarterback said Wednesday after being named a captain for the second straight season. “I think you take for granted winning sometimes because you work so hard for it, and you never want to get used to winning, even though that’s what you train for, ironically. You want to take the wins and you want to appreciate the wins, especially in this league. It’s really tough. Every team can show up on Sunday and get a win.
“You want to appreciate the victories, but also, I think, it’s the hatred of losing. I hate letting the team down. I hate letting the building down. So, maybe it’s a fear of failure, but it’s more just a fear of letting people down around you.”
Nix, of course, helped propel a resurgent Broncos team to a 10-7 mark and a postseason berth as a rookie. Now he’s quarterbacking a group that’s got high expectations and is widely regarded as an AFC contender this fall.
So, naturally, Sunday might be right around the corner in reality, but in practice, it still feels like quite a ways away.
“There’s definitely a feeling of excitement and a feeling of I’m just eager to get to Sunday,” Nix said. “Eager to see what (the Tennessee Titans) come out and play, what they do, and how they try to confuse us. I just want to make sure I’ve got all my t’s crossed and my i’s dotted and that I’m just prepared for all I can be prepared for.
“When it gets to game time and you get into the heat of the moment, I can rely on my training and go off what I’ve prepared for and then react. I feel comfortable with that, but I definitely don’t want to be unprepared for something I could have been prepared for. So I’m excited, I know our team’s excited.”
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.