Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was ranked the 22nd quarterback in the NFL and second-worst QB in the playoffs by The Ringer.
While there’s been a lot of criticism of Nix’s play in his first two seasons, his ranking among playoff QBs was lower than one would expect.
Can he and the Broncos offense prove the doubters wrong this postseason?
Denver Broncos Bo Nix ranked second-worst quarterback in NFL playoffs by The Ringer
The Ringer has a running ranking system of all NFL quarterbacks, and they updated their list just in time for the playoffs; Bo Nix is the second-worst gun slinger still alive in the playoffs.
According to the publication, their list of playoff QBs has Josh Allen (2nd overall) at the top, followed by Justin Herbert (3rd), Drake Maye (5th), and Matt Stafford (6th).
Scroll down for a long time, and you’ll find Aaron Rodgers (21st) just ahead of Nix (22nd). Only Bryce Young of the Panthers was ranked lower. And the criticisms are stinging, but seemingly just.
From Steven Ruiz:
“As much as we like to think that wins aren’t a quarterback stat, it’s clear that winning games can dramatically alter how we view a QB’s performance. Bo Nix is a shining example of that. The second-year Broncos quarterback ranks fourth in MVP odds as we head into the playoffs despite mediocre efficiency numbers. His MVP argument is built on Denver earning the top seed in the AFC and some bright moments in high-leverage situations. Nix led the NFL in dropbacks during the regular season but couldn’t crack the 4,000-yard mark. He ranked outside of the top 20 in both success rate and yards per dropback. He was one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks in the fourth quarter, but he was mediocre outside of that. He still gets the zoomies in the pocket and misses too many open throws downfield for me to fully buy what Sean Payton is selling.”
There’s a lot more, too, so I suggest Broncos fans check out the complete rankings from The Ringer.
Nix’s play has been consistently inconsistent through his first two seasons.
As a rookie, he started rough, made a lot of plays with his legs, and seemed to really start catching on down the stretch.
This year has mimicked that one in many ways. Nix started slowly—just like the Broncos offense did—and he finally calmed down his footwork and played great football from Week 11-Week 15. But did he peak too early? While he threw for 352 yards in the Jacksonville game, his late forced interception was a nail in the coffin for Denver. And he was merely mediocre the last two weeks, granted Sean Payton’s game plan was watered down and conservative.
As Ruiz said for The Ringer, there’s nowhere for Bo Nix to hide in the playoffs.
“Quarterback Bo Nix needs to do his best impression of 2024 Jalen Hurts this postseason if the Broncos want to make a Super Bowl run. I’m not certain that Denver’s recent conservative offensive approach will work in the playoffs against the best teams in the AFC—some of whom Denver played earlier in the season.”
Nix, Sean Payton, and the entire Denver Broncos team knows the pressure is on.
This weekend, they wait and watch as the rest of the AFC goes head-to-head. Denver will play the lowest remaining seed.
The Bills and Jaguars kick things off on Sunday (11 a.m.). Then it’s Chargers-Patriots at 6 p.m. that night. If both higher seeds win those games, Denver will play the winner of the Texans and Steelers on Monday night (6 p.m.).