Relax, Broncos Country. Let’s show Bo Nix some mercy.

The rookie quarterback’s time in Denver hasn’t gotten off to a pleasant start after generating a lot of excitement and optimism during training camp and two impressive preseason games. Now the Broncos are 0-2, while Nix has thrown for 384 yards, four interceptions and zero touchdowns.

Indeed, the numbers are tough to stomach, but it’s too early to panic. Nix is ​​enduring the pain of being a starting quarterback in his first year just like his fellow rookie teammates: Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Chicago’s Caleb Williams. One stat that really speaks to their rocky transition is that Nix, Daniels and Williams have combined to throw 196 passes without a touchdown. That’s the most consecutive rookies without a touchdown pass to start a season in league history, according to Opta Stats.

None of the rookie quarterbacks have rocked the world like some might have expected when they were drafted in April. But that shouldn’t be a cause for concern. It should be a reminder to be patient. Not only do Nix, Daniels and Williams have their own performance issues to work on, but they’ve also entered organizations that are riddled with flaws.

The common problem for all rookie quarterbacks was the lack of protection from their offensive line. Williams, Daniels and Nix were pressured a total of 92 times, according to Next Gen Stats.

Chicago and Denver rank fourth and fifth in the league in pressures allowed. Williams has been sacked nine times – tied with Las Vegas’ Gardner Minshew and New England’s Jacoby Brissett for the league lead. In Chicago’s Week 2 loss to the Houston Texans, Williams barely had a clean pocket. He was sacked seven times and blitzed on 41.7% of his dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats. He completed just 3 of 12 passes for 15 yards and one interception, according to Next Gen Stats.

In Washington, it’s alarming that Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin (aka Mr. Reliable) have been unable to connect. In two games, McLaurin has eight catches for 39 yards.

Daniels has the arm strength to get the ball flying, but Washington’s offensive line has made it difficult. The Commanders have allowed 25 pressures, the 12th-most in the league. At the same time, Daniels has the shortest throw time among NFL quarterbacks at 2.33 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats.

Despite the Commanders’ struggles in the trenches, Daniels has managed to be the best of the three rookie starting QBs. The Heisman Trophy winner has thrown for 410 yards, rushed for 132 yards and scored two times.

In Nix’s case, it’s not just the offensive line that hasn’t done its part. It’s the entire offense, including the coaching staff. Denver’s running game is predictable and Javonte Williams hasn’t been productive. This has forced Nix to drop back 88 times — the fourth-most in the league. It also doesn’t help that Denver’s pass catchers have trouble creating spacing in man coverage.

“We trust the system and the game plans that we come up with, but we don’t execute them,” wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. “We all, we all have to make sure we’re doing our jobs, we know our jobs and we execute at the highest level to make sure we can take advantage of it.”

Nix and Williams are not innocent either. There were a handful of moments where both quarterbacks looked overwhelmed and tried to do too much. All of Nix’s interceptions were plays where he tried to make something out of nothing by throwing the ball in double or triple coverage.

In Chicago’s season-opening win over the Titans, there was a moment in the first quarter when Williams ran back more than 10 yards before being sacked for a 19-yard loss. Against the Texans, he threw two interceptions, including one in the fourth quarter when he escaped pressure only to throw into triple coverage, leading to a pick by cornerback Kamari Lassiter.