Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix faced criticism throughout the season, mostly for frequently having to lead the team to comeback victories. Despite the scrutiny, the second-year passer led the NFL in comeback wins during the regular season. However, after the Broncos’ loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship, the tone of commentary around Nix shifted dramatically. It became clear just how much the Broncos missed their starting quarterback.
**Broncos Get Reality Check About Bo Nix After AFC Championship Game Loss**
All week leading up to the game, Broncos players and coaches praised the talents of seventh-year veteran Jarrett Stidham, who was forced to start in Nix’s place on Sunday. Stidham started the game well, guiding the Broncos to a touchdown on Denver’s second offensive drive after a three-and-out on their first possession. However, things quickly unraveled from there.
Stidham finished the game with 133 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, completing only 54.8% of his passes while taking 3 sacks. Notably, 52 of those yards came on a single play during the touchdown drive.
“Woulda, coulda, shoulda but Bo Nix’s game would have flourished in the snow,” 9News’ Mike Klis posted on X (formerly Twitter) after the game. His comment reflected a common sentiment expressing frustration over the Broncos’ circumstances.
Nix suffered a broken bone in his ankle during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs against the Buffalo Bills. The injury required surgery and ended his season prematurely. Despite being in attendance for the AFC Championship game, Nix’s absence on the field was felt deeply, especially as the Broncos fell 10-7 and now head into the offseason.
Stidham’s performance highlighted all that Nix brings to the Broncos when healthy. “The question will always loom: What would have happened if Bo Nix didn’t get hurt,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens posted on X.
James Palmer of The Athletic and Bleacher Report captured the sentiment from Nix’s perspective: “All Bo Nix can do is shake his head as he rides a scooter onto the elevator at Mile High. What a season for the second year QB and the Broncos.”
**Bo Nix Gets ‘Flowers’ After AFC Championship Game**
Nix finished the regular season leading the league with 612 pass attempts, completing 63.4% for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Yet, his value to the Broncos goes far beyond these raw numbers.
“If Bo Nix plays in this game, I think it’s a completely different story. Just based off of the fact you saw what their young quarterback had to do today to win the game, and Drake Maye had 10 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. To me, when the weather goes bad like that, that’s where Bo would have shined by keeping those plays alive,” Bennie Fowler said on the “DNVR Broncos Podcast” postgame.
“It was a tall task for Stiddy anyway. But you think—you can only just imagine if Bo plays in this game, what happens in this game. It’s just unfortunate. So, that’s my immediate, first takeaway: what if both teams are healthy?”
Co-host Ryan Koenigsberg went a step further, declaring that Nix is “special,” asserting that it’s “time to give Bo Nix his flowers,” and emphasizing that the “Bo Nix era has only just begun.”
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/denver-broncos/nix-attention-patriots-maye-stidham/