The good news about Bo Nix's first half against the Jets is that he didn't turn the ball over. He finished the first 30 minutes without an interception or fumble, which has been an issue of his to begin the season. .
That's about the only positive for the Broncos rookie quarterback's start to the Week 4 contest.
Nix struggled immensely against a stout Jets defense in the first half of the game Sunday. In fact, the Denver first-round pick failed to finish the half with positive passing yards, an almost unheard of statistic.
It's been par for the course during the start of Nix's career. The Oregon product has yet to reach 250 passing yards in a game and was held without a passing touchdown through the first three weeks into the 2024 campaign. Meanwhile, he already has totaled four interceptions.
The passing game got better in the third and fourth quarter against New York, with Nix finding the end zone for the first time in the NFL career when he hit Courtland Sutton for a go-ahead touchdown.
Bo Nix finds Courtland Sutton to give Denver the lead!
— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2024
📺: #DENvsNYJ on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/v7iow3KBl7
The defense held Aaron Rodgers and Co. to just nine points, which was enough for the Broncos to pull out a 10-9 win over the Jets.
MORE: Week 4 NFL Power Rankings | Week 4 NFL picks | Week 4 NFL picks against the spread
Here is more to know about Nix's uneventful first half against the Jets, and what he finished with.
Broncos passing yards vs. Jets
After the first half of the game, Nix had accumulated -7 passing yards.
That's not a typo. He completed seven of his 15 pass attempts, but those seven catches resulted in the team moving in the wrong direction. Five of the seven passes were to running backs, as Denver displayed a conservative approach on the offensive side of the ball.
Nix's longest completion in the half went for two yards. All three of the recipients of the passes — Javonte Williams, Tyler Badie and Troy Franklin — ended the half in the negatives for receiving yards.
It didn't help that there were slippery conditions at MetLife Stadium. The rain in East Rutherford, N.J. created a low-offense affair, on both sides.
It's the first time since 2000 a quarterback completed multiple passes in a first half while totaling negative yards.
Bo Nix, who is 7-of-15 for minus-7 passing yards, is the first quarterback to have multiple completions in the first half and throw for negative yards since at least 2000.
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) September 29, 2024
Nix got into a rhythm in the second half, recording 67 yards to end the game on a high note. But he completed less than half of his passes and ended with a total of 60 passing yards, a career-low so far, and made some history in the process.
Bo Nix is the first QB in the Super Bowl era to win a game in which he averaged fewer than 2.5 yards per pass attempt (minimum 25 attempts)
— Dante Koplowitz-Fleming (@DanteKopFlem) September 29, 2024
He threw it 25 times for 60 yards in today’s win against the Jets@NFLPlus
Under normal circumstances, 2.4 passing yards per attempt would not be enough to pull off a victory. However, Nix bucked that trend on Sunday, as the Denver defense stymied Rodgers enough to get the win.
Bo Nix stats today
- Comp-Att: 12-25
- Comp %: 48%
- Passing Yards: 60
- Passing TDs: 1
- INTs: 0
Fewest passing yards in a game
It used to be not as rare for teams to have negative passing yards, though it still was at least a bit uncommon. During the Super Bowl era, Stathead reports the fewest passing yards came in 1967, when the Broncos had minus-53 passing yards in a 51-0 drubbing at the hands of the Raiders.
But the Giants at least made some relatively modern history, being one of just six teams to have negative passing yards. Here's a look at the fewest passing yards in a game since 2000:
| Team | Date | Opponent | Result | Passing yards |
| Giants | Oct. 29, 2023 | Jets | 13-10, Jets | -9 |
| Browns | Dec. 3, 2000 | Jaguars | 48-0, Jaguars | -9 |
| Titans | Oct. 18, 2009 | Patriots | 59-0, Patriots | -7 |
| Giants | Jan. 2, 2022 | Bears | 29-3, Bears | -6 |
| Texans | Dec. 3, 2006 | Raiders | 23-14, Texans | -5 |
| Browns | Dec. 12, 2004 | Bills | 37-7, Bills | -3 |
