Bo Nix has been a roller coaster ride for the Denver Broncos in his rookie season, oscillating between erratic play and moments of brilliance under Sean Payton’s tutelage. But after a gritty, defense-led victory to end the regular season, Dan Orlovsky believes that the young quarterback has quietly become the league's most clutch performer.
On Sunday, the Denver Broncos defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 19-3 at Empower Field at Mile High, securing the AFC's No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. Despite the victory, questions lingered about the offense's rhythm. However, ESPN analyst Orlovsky took to social media to challenge the narrative surrounding Nix's performance:
“What quarterback in the NFL this year had the best, number one, touchdown to interception ratio when his team was trailing?... It wasn't Drake Maye. It wasn't Matthew Stafford. It wasn't Sam Darnold. It wasn't Patrick Mahomes... It was Bo Nix,” Orlovsky said.
On Tuesday via Instagram stories, Orlovsky provided the answer to his own rhetorical question, spotlighting a metric that separates Nix from the elite:
“No, Bo wasn't unbelievable this year. I've talked about the roller coaster ride that he had. But... 17 touchdowns to two interceptions when his team was trailing. When they needed him to play his best, he did. When he needed to be his best, he was.”
Orlovsky doubled down on the statistics that exonerate Nix from the "erratic" label often applied to rookies. The 12th overall pick finished the 2025 season with 25 touchdowns against 11 interceptions and a passer rating of 87.8. But it is his efficiency when the team is at a deficit that drew the analyst's focus:
“When that team needed him to make a play, he did it. And will it bite them in the playoffs? I don't know. The roller coaster ride, the erratic play, will it bite them? I don't know. Will he make that same throw or clutch run in the playoffs? The way he did in the regular [season].”
“What quarterback in the NFL this year had the best, number one, touchdown to interception ratio when his team was trailing?... It was Bo Nix,” ESPN's Dan Orlovsky said.@BoNix10 @Broncos @danorlovsky7 pic.twitter.com/mouaAVdGpr
— MOHAMMAD ASIF ANSARI (@WriterMohammad) January 7, 2026
While Nix recorded 3,931 passing yards and appeared in all 17 games, the praise was not universal. The offense lacked its typical tempo during the finale, and Nix himself took responsibility for a lack of urgency in the huddle during the second quarter.
More: How did Broncos' Bo Nix respond to being booed in Sunday's win?
Bo Nix addresses the 'ugly wins' narrative ahead of the postseason
Bo Nix will have one of the biggest opportunities of his career on Saturday, Jan. 17, or Sunday, Jan. 18: a divisional round home game with the weight of the No. 1 seed on his shoulders. And the quarterback has come to the defense of his team's style of victory as it looms.
The rookie has faced criticism for a perceived lack of "flash" in his game management. It has even come to the point where he had to address the media regarding the "grind" of the season versus the aesthetic quality of their wins.
During his media availability this week, Nix defended the results over the style:
"I think you know we've been fortunate this year to play in a lot of close games... It hadn't been the pretty, the ones that you want, the flashy, the big time wins... But it's part of it you know sometimes you got to go and play the tough ones," Nix said.
Nix also noted that his 49 rushing yards against the Chargers were not called plays, but rather a result of the defense covering receivers, further emphasizing the "whatever it takes" mentality.
Among the things that have happened during Bo Nix's ascent has been the solidification of the Broncos as a legitimate contender. Nix emphasized that the current situation, two home games and an extra week of rest, is the "best case scenario" for the roster.
The team remains “hungry,” and the experience of winning close games against playoff contenders has prepared the young players for the tournament.
The biggest credit, however, went to the defense, which led the league in sacks for the second consecutive year and forced multiple turnovers, including a pick-six and a fumble in the finale.
As they look toward the divisional round, the Broncos have secured additional playoff pay and the most valuable asset in the postseason: rest.
The quarterback plans to use his past playoff experience to help the team navigate the tournament, insisting that nothing will change regarding his effort or preparation moving forward.
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