Bo Nix embraces ugly wins as building blocks for big games

Bo Nix says the Denver Broncos are learning how to live in the margins. On Sunday, he showed why that matters

Nov 2, 2025, 4:01 PM Updated: 5:55 pm

Watch: The Broncos Do Just Enough -- AGAIN | 7 mins

Bo Nix says the Denver Broncos are learning how to live in the margins. On Sunday, he showed why that matters.

“We are at the point where we expect to give ourselves a chance to win every game. We expect that we’re going to compete and find a way, no matter how it looks,” the young quarterback said after Denver’s 18-15 win over the Houston Texans. “We’ve had good-looking and bad-looking games, but this is a good win streak, and we’re winning in many different forms and fashions. The expectations are different, and we understand what it feels like to have the confidence to win against a good team in a tough environment on the road. We’re just finding ways to do it, and we found one today, it’s good for our character and the continued development.”

Tied at 15 in the final seconds, Nix broke the pocket on a designed movement and scrambled 25 yards, flipping field position and pushing Denver to the Houston 36. After a nine-yard keeper, head coach Sean Payton stopped the clock and Wil Lutz hit a 34-yard field goal at the buzzer to extend the Broncos’ winning streak to six and move them to 7-2.

“It proves we can win tough games; our mentality can adjust to where we expect to find ways to win,” Nix said. “It’s a really good issue to have, finding ugly wins. It’s not always going to be like that. Sometimes, you’ll win bigger and easier, but right now it’s ugly, and we’ll keep finding ways to do it. We’ll continue to improve, but these ugly wins are important; they help you in the future. All the playoff games are one-score games, and you gotta learn how to win those.”

Nix didn’t run much — three carries for 36 yards, 34 of them in the final 44 seconds — but his legs were decisive. He went 18 of 37 for 173 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, hitting Courtland Sutton on a 30-yard score in the first half and finding RJ Harvey for a second-half touchdown before connecting with Troy Franklin on a two-point conversion to tie it.

Denver overcame a messy special-teams day that included a blocked 51-yard field goal and a muffed punt that set up a Houston kick just before halftime. Payton acknowledged the sloppiness but said the locker room never wavered.

“All of that, without watching on tape, my concern was just the late subs. It was a little bit sloppy in the kicking game,” Payton said. “We’ll get that cleaned up, or we’ll find someone else who can do it.”

“I don’t think there was a person in that locker room that felt like we were losing this game,” Payton added. “You can’t wish for confidence, right? It’s born out of what? Demonstrated ability.”

Harvey led Denver with five receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown. Franklin had four catches and the two-point grab. J.K. Dobbins ran 15 times for 61 yards as the Broncos finished with 100 rushing yards.

Houston didn’t find the end zone. Davis Mills went 17 of 30 for 137 yards in relief of the injured C.J. Stroud, who was 6 of 10 for 79 as the Texans settled for five field goals and 77 rushing yards.

The Broncos host the Raiders on Thursday night.

Ugly or not, Nix says, these games are the building blocks for the ones that matter most.