Any shadow of doubt that people had about the Denver Broncos and Bo Nix being fraudulent has gone out the window — at least for now.
While Denver still has a few tough matchups left on its schedule, their franchise quarterback’s performance against the Green Bay Packers in Week 15 solidified him as a top-five quarterback in the NFL.
With their home win over the Packers on Sunday, Nix has now led Denver to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons. This achievement puts him on an exclusive list with names like Russell Wilson, Dan Marino, and Ben Roethlisberger, to name a few. Nix’s development has taken a tremendous leap this season — here’s how he is climbing the QB rankings.
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Mom Knows Best
Prior to the Packers game, a reporter asked Nix about his thoughts on being underdogs, despite playing at home. His response was emblematic of the personality he brings to Denver.
“I don’t really care,” Nix said. “My mom thinks we’ll win, so that’s all that matters.”
If all he needed was his mom’s reassurance, he proved it on the field. Nix had arguably the best game of his season, throwing for 302 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions. He did so while completing 23 of his 34 pass attempts. That’s good for a 67.6% completion rate, several points higher than his season-long average of 63.5. It seemed like every pass was finding the hands of a Bronco receiver from the opening kickoff to the final kneel.
This stellar performance came against one of the most daunting defenses in the league, headlined by superstar Micah Parsons. Although Parsons left the game late in the third quarter with what was later diagnosed as a torn ACL, Nix led three touchdown drives before then.
Nix’s athleticism and ability to stay calm — which is something he’s struggled with in the past — completely changed the game for him. He and the offense often saw unfavorable down-and-distance, but he continually came through. An example of this came in the fourth quarter, in a one-point game, on fourth-and-three just inside Packers territory. Nix delivered one of the most impressive passes of his career — lacing a 20-yard seed down the sideline to a covered Courtland Sutton, who hauled it in for the catch.
King of the Clutch
Converting in high-pressure moments like those is exactly what winning quarterbacks do, and Nix continues to answer the call in those moments. He’s led the Broncos to eight fourth-quarter comebacks across his first two seasons in the league — the most by any quarterback through his first two years in NFL history.
There’s no denying his clutch ability. Just look at his game logs from this season — an 18 point fourth-quarter comeback against Philadelphia, a 33 point fourth quarter to erase a 19 point deficit against the Giants — you name it.
Further Room to Grow
The only question to Nix’s game? Consistency.
While the talent is clearly there and it’s been executed multiple times on the biggest stages, Nix is still experiencing the growing pains of an NFL quarterback. Some might try and discredit his skill because of poor games against teams like the Jets or the Raiders. What matters though, is his performance in the biggest games.
Reigning Super Bowl champion Jalen Hurts has had bad games this season, too. Hurts has thrown less than 200 yards in games against the Cowboys, Chiefs and Lions to name a few. Not every superstar quarterback is going to have his best stuff every game, which many people often overlook when evaluating Nix.
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Refreshing Feeling For Fans
It’s safe to say now that Denver has their franchise quarterback, something they’ve sought after since Manning retired a decade ago.
Nix’s unreal athleticism and improvement of pocket presence this season has fully solidified him as a top quarterback in today’s league. Whether it’s working with different WR1’s between Sutton and Troy Franklin, or having to establish a connection with newer roster adds like Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Nix never fails to prove his doubters wrong every chance he gets.
The road doesn’t get easier from here, though — Nix and company will now take on an ascending Jaguars team as Denver looks to extend its winning streak to twelve games. As previously stated, it’s all a matter of consistency with Nix — and if he delivers again, there won’t be anyone denying his skill.
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