No matter what Bo Nix does, NFL fans and critics often seem hesitant to give him his flowers. They harp on his missed throws and his age, giving all the credit to the Denver Broncos’ defense.
Many believe that Nix still has a lot to prove, even after putting the Broncos in the AFC Championship game. However, as his third year approaches and as Denver looks poised for another run, NFL fans should watch out for Nix. They may soon find him in conversations they never would have imagined.
Sophomore Success
Last year, Nix led the Broncos to a 14-3 record and a playoff victory over the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. At the end of the game, Nix broke his ankle. Thus, the Broncos begrudgingly relied on backup Jarrett Stidham in their 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. Given how well Nix had been playing, there’s no telling how far the Broncos could have gone had he stayed healthy.
That success alone should be enough for Nix to be considered a top-15 or even a top-ten quarterback. Especially when factoring in that he finished top-ten in passing yards and passing touchdowns last year. But apparently, it’s not enough.
No Credit From the Critics
Fortunately, there’s no need to wonder where Nix ranks, as several NFL analysts took the liberty of ranking quarterbacks after the season. NFL.com‘s Nick Shook has Nix at No. 18, while The Ringer‘s Steven Ruiz has him at No. 21. For reference, Shook has him below the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Brock Purdy, and Daniel Jones. Meanwhile, Ruiz has Kyler Murray, who was cut, and Jayden Daniels, who only played in seven games last year, over Nix.
Despite his clear arm talent, demonstrated production, and team success, Nix still gets no love. Even when he became a dark horse MVP candidate towards the end of last year, he got no credit from the analysts or fans. Ruiz explains his reasoning by citing niche statistics like “yards per dropback” and describing Nix’s improvements from the year prior as “marginal.” Meanwhile, Shook dinged him for his lack of “true sense of consistency until after Thanksgiving.”
Admittedly, Nix made some poor decisions and inaccurate throws here and there. However, in combination with his stats, his ability to always shine in the fourth quarter should be worth something. Winning plays a role in talent, and Nix always found ways to battle and win, as seen by his league-leading seven game-winning drives. Nevertheless, haters will continue to hate, but hating may become harder after next year.
Bo Nix’s Third-Year Triumph
The stage is set for Nix to explode next year. After two years in Denver, he’s now fully acclimated to Sean Payton‘s offense. Additionally, instead of signing new free agents, the Broncos brought back all familiar faces like J.K. Dobbins and Adam Trautman. Most importantly, they went out and got star receiver Jaylen Waddle to pair with Courtland Sutton.
Nix is comfortable with his system, and he has plenty of weapons. There’s no reason to assume that he or the Broncos will be taking a step back.
He has proved he can put up the stats and the wins. Additionally, now that he’s more experienced and has more options, the mistakes will likely decrease. If he can continue to demonstrate those qualities and results while shoring up the errors, he will be a top ten NFL quarterback.
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