Broncos’ best win of a special season fueled by Bo Nix’s ‘swagger’

DENVER — The Broncos got the best of Bo Nix at the perfect time: against the finest team on their schedule so far this season.

When they needed peak Nix most, he provided it, and when looking for reasons why they ran their winning streak to 11 games with Sunday’s thrilling 34-26 win over the Green Bay Packers, none loomed larger on the landscape.

Only twice in his career has Nix delivered better passer ratings, but neither of those defenses he diced up for superior data points — that of the Atlanta Falcons in November 2024 and the JV, backup-laden Chiefs seven weeks later — were in the same area code as Green Bay’s quick, playmaking unit that looked early as if it was going to force the issue on Nix and Co.

It didn’t appear early as if Nix was en route to his finest day. But after that tepid start, Nix began his attack.

By halftime, Nix had just one incompletion in 12 attempts. And each time the Broncos offense went three-and-out, Nix’s response upon his return was comprehensive: to lead two-consecutive touchdown drives.

After the first scoring march — a 10-play, 70-yard second-quarter drive that ended in the 20-yard scoring pass to Michael Bandy that put Denver in front for the first time — right tackle Mike McGlinchey noticed something in Nix’s demeanor.

“You could feel it from him in the huddle from after our first score, he kind of had this swagger about him that was just really, really cool to see,” Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey said.

It was obvious to other teammates.

“Oh, yeah,” concurred Broncos tight end Adam Trautman. “When he gets into his — I don’t know what you want to call it, flow state, if you must? Yeah, because he’s competitive as hell and he’s fiery and he’s in there like, he doesn’t swear, but lock in and all this stuff.

“But he’s speaking to you and his eyes are wide and he’s staring at your soul, and it’s a confidence and respect thing. And, I mean, it spreads throughout the entire huddle and you feel like you can — even through our struggles this year, right? Trying to figure out on offense, like, you feel confident with whatever’s called.”

Nix spread the football around; although Courtland Sutton was the focal point with his second-straight 10-catch day, four different receivers caught touchdown passes: Bandy, Sutton, Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Troy Franklin.

“Man, he was having him a day out there just dotting the ball around,” Sutton said. “… And Bo did a great job of giving us chances on the outside to make plays. And everybody made plays, man.”

BRONCOS FED OFF NIX’S AURA

To be certain, it works both ways, McGlinchey noted, making this a symbiotic relationship between quarterback and teammates. But one of the reasons why the Broncos have been able to create overwhelming mid-to-late-game bursts is because of this give and take between Nix and his co-stars.

“I’d like to think we all feed off of each other,” McGlinchey said. “He’s feeding off of us as much as we are of him.

“You look in his eyes and he’s saying, ‘Give me the ball. And it was an impressive day for him.”

This manifests in protection that helped keep Nix upright; he was never sacked and absorbed just three hits from Green Bay pass rushers. It marked the fourth time this season Denver has not allowed a sack; only Jacksonville has more sack-free performances this season, logging its fifth in a 48-20 rout of the New York Jets earlier Sunday.

It also reveals itself in Broncos pass catchers who have an extra chance set up by Nix’s mobility, such as when tight end Evan Engram snared a one-handed catch from Nix on third-and-13 late in the third quarter, powering 12 yards to set up a fourth-and-a-foot that Nix converted with a 2-yard sneak.

Instead of going three-and-out, the Broncos sprinted to Nix’s fourth touchdown pass — a 23-yarder to Franklin — seven plays later. That put them in front to stay.

“Oone of the big plays that probably won’t get talked about at all [was] Evan Engram catching the one handed pass and then getting it to a fourth-and-1 where we can just sneak it, get the first and then guess what? We score on the drive,” Trautman said. “Now we’re up. So, I think that’s one of the big plays in the game.

“And that’s because Bo was kind of running around a little bit. Same thing to Marvin [Mims Jr.] down in the red zone.

“But yeah, he was unbelievable tonight.”

Most importantly, Nix elevated his Broncos teammates. That characteristic separates quarterbacks.

If Nix is truly developing this trait — and Sunday’s game is a sign of similar performances to come — he can fulfill Sean Payton’s bold preseason prophecy about becoming a top-five NFL quarterback.

With more games like this one, the notion seems realistic after all.

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