The costume spoke volumes.

At a Halloween party this week, Bo Nix and his wife, Izzy, wore “Top Gun”-inspired outfits. Dressed in a leather bomber jacket with sunglasses and a crew cut, Nix was Iceman.

Ferris Bueller is fun, mischievous, expert in shortcuts. Iceman is more of Nix’s personality: confident, driven, rigid, and dedicated. He’s known for adhering to the rules and coloring the lines, which suits Nix, who revealed on the Jumbotron last week that if football failed, he would have become an FBI agent.

Structure, guidelines, execution of the plan – all of these things are paramount this week. Well ahead of schedule, Nix has an opportunity Sunday to prove he’s a franchise quarterback.

After an awkward start, he’s giving off these vibes in October, win NFL Rookie of the Month.

Typically, teams know by November of a quarterback’s second season if he’s the answer. Nix shakes up the Polaroid image, growing faster than expected. His performance against the Panthers makes it easy to dream: of a winning record, of a place in the playoffs. Wouldn’t that be something for the Broncos after spending years wandering in obscurity?

But the question of whether this quarterback and this team are real hangs over this game. The Broncos grew with the NFC South, the Raiders and the Jets. In other words, their CHSAA RPI stinks.

On Sunday, Nix can show that this team is not a fraud. The Ravens are offering this type of test, which will understandably send many people in Broncos country into hiding, afraid to peek their heads over the covers.

The Broncos, to put it mildly, have wilted in these spots since Super Bowl 50. Put them in a big game against a good team and no amount of Febreze will remove the stench.

The Ravens are not an ideal matchup. They boast about reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. Although he missed two practices this week due to knee and back issues, he is the best player in the league. Sick, tired, injured, whatever.

He also uses rookie quarterbacks to floss, going 8-0 against them during his career.

Face Jackson head-on, and Nix will answer crucial questions about his long-term future and his ability to meet the present moment. Beat Jackson, and he’ll be seen as the solution, only needing more weapons — the Broncos need to trade/draft/sign a No. 1 tight end and receiver next week or next March — to complete his development.

Skepticism surrounds Nix. This week, Dan Pizzuta of the 33rd team ranked Nix 29th among starting quarterbacks based on skill and production, ahead of only Gardner Minshew, Mason Rudolph and Spencer Rattler. This requires Lasik surgery or a recount.

Even with his improvement, Nix’s accuracy and ceiling remain question marks. That’s what makes this game — and next week in Kansas City — such an important measuring stick. Nix can silence critics and change minds by performing well against a Super Bowl contender.

He will be confident. Over the last five games, he has thrown 10 touchdowns and posted a 96.4 quarterback rating. But the road is still part of his growth test.

Nix played well during a Tampa Bay practice and outplayed the Saints. But his overall numbers frame the challenge in Baltimore. Nix has yet to show he can take care of the ball and take risks.

He didn’t turn the ball over in the Broncos’ three straight road wins or get sacked. This has extreme value. But the conservative approach will not be enough to upset the Ravens. He needs to make more plays on the ground and with his legs.

He’s averaging 144.5 passing yards and 40 rushing yards per game away from Denver. Protecting the ball is imperative, but it will prevent a victory if it goes beyond his approach. The Broncos don’t win a rock fight in Baltimore. They should score in the mid 20s.

If Nix wants to influence the national conversation around him, he needs to make more plays — a 30-plus yard run, for example — and hit a deep strike or two. Ravens secondary gives reason to believe it can. This group has been leaking oil all season, a mix of injuries, abandoned picks and failed missions. Baltimore has allowed more than 300 yards four times and held an opponent under 200 only once.

Nix needs to take Courtland Sutton in stride on crossover routes and connect deep with Troy Franklin or Marvin Mims Jr. You know, show a little Maverick in his game with grit and instinct. And coach Sean Payton needs to keep Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull in the mix as Baltimore allows the second-most targets and yards to tight ends.