Why Gennaro picked the Broncos: As a short-week showdown between division rivals, this matchup could be more compelling than it appears at first blush. And in this moment, two of the most interesting individuals in this island game just happen to be a pair of second-year pros who were selected with consecutive picks in the 2024 NFL Draft: Broncos QB Bo Nix (taken 12th overall two Aprils ago) and Raiders TE Brock Bowers (13th). Both enjoyed success in Year 1 — Bowers finished second behind Jayden Daniels in last season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, while Nix placed third — creating great expectations for Year 2. However, each has experienced something of a roller-coaster ride in 2025. Bowers, who earned first-team All-Pro honors as a rookie, initially picked up right where he left off, piling up 103 receiving yards in his first three quarters of action. But a knee injury suffered late in Las Vegas’ season-opening win at New England immediately compromised (and eventually sidelined) the star tight end. Finally healed last week, Bowers returned to the lineup and promptly posted one of the most dominant stat lines of the season: 13 targets, 12 receptions, 127 yards and three touchdowns. Conversely, Nix’s turbulence has been more intermittent. Basically, he underwhelms for the first three quarters (SEE: 81.7 passer rating, 10:5 TD-to-INT ratio) before flipping the switch in the fourth (105.3 passer rating, 7:1 TD-to-INT ratio, four game-winning drives). With all of that in mind, here’s how the TNF script plays out in my mind’s eye: A healthy Bowers bedevils the Broncos’ Pat Surtain II-less secondary … before Nix ultimately makes enough plays at winning time to give Denver its fifth one-score victory in six weeks, extending the overall win streak to seven games.
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