Bo Nix keeps winning, but FanSided’s latest quarterback rankings still have him buried.
The Denver Broncos quarterback, now in his third year, has done plenty to quiet the noise on the field. He helped push Denver to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons and is very likely headed there again.
The Broncos have also won the AFC West and reached within one game of the Super Bowl. Add in Denver’s 16 straight one-score wins - an all-time record - and Nix has been right in the middle of one of the league’s strangest, most successful runs.
Still, that hasn’t translated into much respect in the latest rankings.
FanSided dropped Nix all the way to No. 22 in its updated QB list, slotting him into Tier 4, “Solid Starter.” The quarterbacks ahead of him in that tier are Jalen Hurts, Bryce Young, Justin Herbert, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Aaron Rodgers and Jaxson Dart.
The full top of the list starts with Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson in Tier 1, followed by Caleb Williams, Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, Trevor Lawrence, Jared Goff, Jordan Love, Dak Prescott and Drake Maye in Tier 2. Tier 3 includes C.J. Stroud and Jayden Daniels.
The placement of some of those names is where the debate really starts.
Drake Maye is one of the quarterbacks ranked ahead of Nix, even though he leads the league with 13 turnovers at the position and the New England Patriots are clearly not a formidable team. Then there’s Herbert, who has nearly double the interceptions as touchdown passes, owns the lowest QBR among all starters and has been a bottom-three quarterback this season. The Chargers haven’t gotten anything going, and Herbert has been part of the problem.
Mayfield’s spot ahead of Nix is hard to square, too. He is just barely ahead of Herbert in QBR and has also thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. Even with Tampa Bay’s hyper-efficient rushing attack, his production through six games has been bottom-tier.
Darnold’s case doesn’t hold up much better. He has a lower completion percentage than Nix, has been hurt this year, has thrown fewer touchdowns, more interceptions and has taken more sacks. On top of that, he has the luxury of playing with the best wide receiver in the sport on his side in Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
So whether it’s FanSided’s list or another national take that leaves Broncos fans shaking their heads, the message is the same: Nix still isn’t getting the credit his results suggest he deserves.
And the Broncos have kept backing that up. Denver has become one of the winningest franchises in sports since Nix was drafted, and while wins don’t show up directly in quarterback stats, they matter more than almost anything else in this league. That’s especially true when the quarterback keeps showing up in the biggest moments.
The offense has also started to find its rhythm. Over the last three games, Denver has averaged 28 points, and Nix’s efficiency has started to climb with it. For all the criticism and all the attempts to poke holes in his game, he keeps proving people wrong.
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