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Denver’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Jayden Daniels will try to do something Sunday that hasn’t been done in the NFL in 12 years: win a playoff game on the road as a starting quarterback.
If Nix wins in Buffalo or Daniels wins in Tampa Bay, they will be the first rookie quarterbacks to win a sectional playoff game since Russell Wilson and his Seattle teammates went to Washington and won 12 years ago — against another rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin III.
Since that win by Wilson and the Seahawks, the rookie running backs have been unhappy on the road.
Last year, Texas rookie quarterback CJ Stroud looked great in his first home playoff start, but then went on the road in the divisional round and saw his team get blown out in Baltimore, 34-10. The year before, two rookie quarterbacks started playoff games, and both had ugly experiences: Brock Purdy suffered an injury as his 49ers lost 31-7 to the Eagles, and Skylar Thompson went 18-for-45 in place of the injured Tu Tagovailoa as which the Dolphins lost in Buffalo.
The year before that, Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones was the victim of a 47-17 loss at Buffalo. And in 2017, injuries forced the Raiders to turn to rookie Connor Cook, who went the same 18-for-45 as Thompson as his team was blown out by the Texans.
In all, rookie quarterbacks have started playoff games on the road 22 times in NFL history. Their teams are 5-17. They don’t look like much of a chance for the Broncos or the Commanders.
