Bo Nix fails to deliver in the clutch, raising all sorts of concerns in Broncos Country

The Broncos should be in first place. As the sun was setting in Los Angeles on Sunday evening, Denver should’ve been basking in the glow of being atop the AFC West.

But they weren’t. And there’s only one person to blame. Bo Nix.

That might sound harsh. After all, the Broncos quarterback is only three games into his second NFL season. He’s not a finished product yet. He still has room to grow.

But the league doesn’t grade on a curve. Denver doesn’t get extra credit for playing a young QB. They don’t get spotted points because the person at the helm was only making his 20th start.

Nix is on the field. He’s leading a team that has playoff aspirations. He’s playing the most-important position in sports for a team that thinks it can contend for a championship. And he’s been hyped up by his head coach.

So he has to be up to the task. And he wasn’t on Sunday.

His numbers certainly weren’t impressive. Nix finished his day against the Chargers by completing 14 of 25 passes for a measly 153 yards and a touchdown. That only tells part of the story, however.

In the end, with the game on the line, the Broncos quarterback failed to deliver. It wouldn’t have mattered what the stat sheet read if he had; it would’ve been all about him coming through in the clutch. But he didn’t.

Denver held a 20-13 lead with 7:45 to play in the game. Nix and company had a chance to ice the game; with the ball in his hands, the QB could’ve put L.A. away for good. Instead, the Broncos went three-and-out and had to punt.

Then, Justin Herbert led a seven-play, 76-yard drive to tie the game at 20-20. His touchdown throw to Keenan Allen was franchise QB material. Under duress, he pulled off a clutch play with the game on the line.

Nix had a chance to match the moment, however. The Broncos got the ball back with 2:37 to play. A field goal would catapult them to a win, moving them past the Chargers for first place in the division. The stage was set for a signature drive from the second-year quarterback.

But it didn’t materialize.

Nix was sacked on first down. He had a zero-yard completion on the next play. And then, he missed Courtland Sutton on a deep ball that would’ve set up a game-winning kick.

He had three plays, produced nothing and Denver had to punt with 1:53 remaining on the clock. They wouldn’t see the ball again, as Herbert led an eight-play, 43-yard drive that ended with a walk-off field goal.

One quarterback delivered. The other didn’t. And it’s the reason why the Broncos are now 1-2, two games back of the Chargers in the AFC West and facing an early season crisis moment.

In the last half of the fourth quarter, Herbert led two scoring drives, putting 10 points on the board. In the same timeframe, Nix had the ball twice; his team ran six plays, recorded nine total yards and punted twice.

The Chargers won. The Broncos lost. And the quarterbacks were the reason why.

Los Angeles has a franchise QB. Herbert is going to lead them to great heights. They’re 3-0, atop the division and in the HOV lane toward the playoffs.

Denver has a glorified game manager. Nix is going to execute Sean Payton’s offense, earning kudos from the head coach in the process. But the team isn’t going anywhere. At least not any place special.

That was readily apparent on Sunday. The Broncos had a chance to pull off a massive road win, but they failed to do so because their quarterback didn’t possess the clutch gene.

Nix could’ve put the game away. He didn’t.

Nix could’ve led Denver to a game-winning score. He didn’t.

And he wasn’t close to accomplishing either task.

With the game on the line, in a massive early season divisional showdown, the Broncos quarterback posted back-to-back three-and-outs. He managed less than 10 yards and produced two punts.

In the process, he provided Broncos Country with a reality check. Coming into the season, there were hopes that Denver had found their next franchise quarterback. After nearly 10 years on the QB carousel, some thought the organization had found their next Elway or Manning; they believed that Nix was the long-awaited answer.

Those conversations were premature. And Sunday afternoon proved it.

Franchise quarterbacks find a way to win big games. Bo Nix managed to lose one in Los Angeles.

As a result, Denver is 1-2, two games back of the Chargers and facing an uphill battle to get back into the race in the AFC West. But more importantly, they’re facing a crisis of confidence.

Is Nix the answer at QB? He certainly didn’t look the part on Sunday.

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