It wasn’t Bo Nix, but he was quite good last season.
Joe Burrow was involved in 74 goal-to-go (GtG) plays as a passer or as a runner in 2024, but only 24 of those resulted in TDs. While that TD number was the highest in the league for goal-to-go plays, his 32.4% TD rate was actually fairly low when you compare to the best goal-to-go QBs in the NFL in 2024.
Dak Prescot only had eight goal-to-go plays in 2024 but five of those resulted in a TD – 62.5%. Jalen Hurts had 37 plays and 21 of them went for TDs, but he actually had more runs (22) than passes (15). He did not take a GtG sack in 2024.
Among full-time starters, Bo Nix was the third best goal-to-go QB – scoring on 17 of 35 plays in which he was the passer, runner or receiver. Nix did take three GtG sacks in 2024.
For those looking for reasons why Kirk Cousins was benched look no further than his performance on GtG plays. When you only gets TDs on four of eighteen plays despite having an elite RB and an elite TE, you get benched.
Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen were beasts on GtG plays because of their run/pass double threat, but Bo Nix was right up there with them, albeit with fewer opportunities because of the inefficiency of the Bronco offense for much of the season.
I was a little surprised to see just how poor Russell Wilson and Geno Smith were in GtG passing in 2024. That might be why both are new teams in 2025.
48.6 percent of the time when Bo Nix was actively (not handing off) involved in goal-to-go plays in 2024, the Denver Broncos scored a TD. It gets even more impressive when you look at his first two games compared to the rest of the season. In his first two games of his rookie campaign, Nix was only involved in three goal-to-go plays: one TD run, one INT and one incomplete. That INT was his only goal-to-go INT of the season. This includes a stretch at the end of the season where Nix got a TD on 8 of 10 GtG plays with only two of those coming on third down.
Bo was relatively effective on 3rd or 4th and goal in 2024. Nix got a TD on 60% of his chances (that catch was on 3rd and goal). Only Jared Goff, Bryce Young, Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray were better in 2024 (minimum 5 plays). Matthew Stafford’s one of twelve is telling.
If you look at the success or failure of other Broncos on GtG plays, other Broncos ran the ball 27 times and scored on 7 – 26% success rate.
| Player | Att | Yds | TD |
| Javonte Williams | 13 | 21 | 3 |
| Jaleel McLaughlin | 7 | 14 | 1 |
| Audric Estime | 4 | 12 | 2 |
| Bo Nix | 5 | 10 | 3 |
| Michael Burton | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Totals | 32 | 60 | 10 |
Only Estime was close to Nix in GtG efficiency, scoring on two of his four carries.