No one takes the middle ground with Bo Nix.
He is either a full-blown savior or embarrassingly overrated.
His slow heartbeat in the clutch reminds some of John Elway.
The comebacks are required, critics bark, because his play in the first three quarters is reminiscent of Tim Tebow.
In two seasons, Nix has ended an eight-year playoff drought, won 24 games and collected Denver’s first AFC West title since Peyton Manning’s final season. He has also delivered some performances — at the Jets as a rookie, against the Raiders, Chiefs and Chargers last season — that made it impossible for apountry to live, laugh and love even in victories.
Nobody can explain it. It’s something, ain’t it?
The Broncos finally secure a franchise quarterback, and Nix morphs into a polarizing figure. The players ranked him 59th in the NFL Top 100, ahead of Lamar Jackson. And a few days ago, Garrett Podell of CBS Sports labeled him as one of the most overrated quarterbacks.
As Nix enters season three, it is time to find out the truth.
It has required screaming matches, growing pains, a new receiver and playcaller, but we are finally going to see the best of Nix.
His days as a polarizing figure are over.
Nix splits opinions because of his inconsistency within games. He is the equivalent of a pitcher who walks the bases loaded in the first inning then shows off no-hit stuff over a game’s final nine outs.
It doesn’t always make sense, beyond the obvious mechanical issues of happy feet, left shoulder flying open and nerves.
Coach Sean Payton told ESPN writer Seth Wickersham last January that he “avoids calling shallow crossing routes the first few drives because Nix might throw the ball high and hard, leading to a tipped pass and interception.”
To be fair, Nix has played his best when things are a mess. Street ball, as Payton reluctantly calls it. He hated it with Russell Wilson, but has grown more tolerant with Nix because he limits turnovers and dramatically reduces sacks.
Now, the moment has arrived to prove it. Time to show he can use the shorter verbiage customized by Davis Webb, the new offensive coordinator, and a simplified running game to reach his potential.
Here is his chance to improve against zone coverage and gain his rhythm on deep strikes. With the addition of Jaylen Waddle, there are no more excuses.
Nix has a top-five wide receiver tandem. His security blanket, Courtland Sutton. And his new Hot Wheel in Waddle.
Let’s talk like adults and cut to the chase. The Broncos’ season hinges on how the Payton-Webb-Nix dynamic works.
Payton has turned Nix into a solid player. But the coach’s indecisiveness choosing plays and Shakespearean sonnet-length calls became problematic. It was holding Denver back offensively, leading Payton to lean heavily on a frothing defense and Nix’s fourth-quarter theatrics.
It was deemed unsustainable. So, Webb gets his chance, starting Wednesday when the Broncos report for training camp. You will never convince me Payton made this decision willingly, though if doing so helped him land a three-year contract extension, those dots are a lot easier to connect.
Payton wants it to work because his legacy remains at stake. Get to a Super Bowl — I don’t think winning it is required — and he will get elected to the Hall of Fame.
Webb needs it to work to land a head coaching job. Showing he can operate with bullets flying is the last merit badge to earn after he nearly landed the top spots in Buffalo and Las Vegas over the winter.
Everyone knows the Broncos must start faster and become more efficient on early downs. An upgraded running game with a simplified blocking scheme is required.
Then the rest is up to Nix. And the irony is rich.
Can Nix and Webb run the offense that made Payton famous?
“(Payton) doesn’t want an offense that stresses the defense horizontally. Knowing Sean, he wants to throw the ball down the field. Drew (Brees) was throwing that thing,” said former linebacker Manti Te’o on NFL Network, his recall based on playing for Payton for three seasons in New Orleans. “Bo Nix needs to throw down the field. It starts and ends with Nix.”
This remains at the crux of Nix’s development. It’s a question that, if answered positively, will make him a top 15 quarterback, one capable of winning a Super Bowl.
The issue has never been trusting Nix to pass. His 612 attempts last season led the league. It is the length of the throws and their location.
The Broncos threw the sixth-most passes behind the line of scrimmage. The safeties and linebacker did not respect the deep game, turning the middle of the field into a ghost town.
And when Nix let it eat, he was not great.
In passes of 15-plus air yards, Nix posted a 36.7 completion percentage, slotting 24th in the league. His passer rating (79.8) was 21st. And six of his 11 interceptions came in these situations.
With Waddle in tow, these numbers must spike. He addresses this specific need. He caught 21 passes on vertical/deep routes — second best in the league — despite the struggles of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Waddle can take the top off the defense and close the lid on games.
Every time Nix connects with Waddle deep, consider it a victory over opinion, a win for his reputation.
Nix does not obsess over critics, with right tackle Mike McGlinchey calling it one of his “superpowers.” But he will silence them if he dials in on intermediate routes and shock plays.
Nix has earned respect in the locker room for his work ethic and relentless competitiveness.
Outside of it, in non-Colorado area codes, he has fostered suspicion about his future because of multiple ankle injuries and surgeries, even though he has only missed one NFL start.
The one-score wins and Nix’s health have led sportsbooks to make the Broncos underdogs in five of their first six games, while predicting them to finish third in the AFC West.
“They are probably waiting to see Bo,” linebacker Nik Bonitto told The Post. “Well, just wait till they see him.”
It is time to remove the gray area with Nix. His ceiling will tell the truth.
