The biggest news from Sunday… Bo Nix was the best QB on the field

In a game that was going to answer a lot of the lingering questions about the Broncos, their second-year quarterback answered the bell

BY JAMES MERILATT

Dec 15, 2025, 4:00 AM Updated: 9:27 am

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“Do they believe now?” That’s what Tom Jackson yelled to anyone within earshot after the 1977 AFC Championship Game.

That day, the Broncos finished off a miraculous season, quieting the naysayers by advancing to their first-ever Super Bowl. They did so by beating the defending champs, knocking off the hated Raiders en route to the big game.

No one would question anyone in Denver’s locker room if they were boastfully asking the same question on Sunday evening. After months of being doubted, including being a home underdog while riding a 10-game winning streak and being undefeated at Empower Field this season, the Broncos answered their critics with a 34-26 win over the Packers.

“If nobody else believes in us, it’s all good, man,” Garett Bolles offered after the game. “We believe in each other.”

But it wasn’t just the victory that made a point. It was the way Denver notched the W that was really impressive.

This wasn’t a game in which they rode their defense to an ugly win. In fact, they had to overcome some pretty lousy play on that side of the ball.

When the Packers scored a touchdown to make it 23-14, they had put points on the board at the end of all five of their drives on the day. Green Bay was doing whatever they wanted to against the Broncos much-ballyhooed defense.

But Denver’s offense kept them in the game. Bo Nix threw a pair of touchdowns in the first half, keeping Denver within striking distance. And then when the opportunity presented itself, the QB pounced.

Trailing 23-14 in the third quarter, Pat Surtain II made the play of the day. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year intercepted Jordan Love, squelching Green Bay’s attempt to put the game out of reach. And the Broncos took advantage.

Nix led a seven-play, 71-yard drive that ended in a 14-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton, the QB’s third scoring strike of the day, to cut the lead to 23-21. When the Broncos defense finally forced a punt on the next drive, Denver’s offense went 65 yards on nine plays to take the lead, capped by another TD from Nix, this one from 23 yards out to Troy Franklin.

Both marches were things of beauty. Both involved big-time plays by Nix, beyond the scoring strikes.

Denver’s second-year quarterback showed an ability to move the chains when the down-and-distance wasn’t in his favor by throwing darts into the Packers zone defense. He converted QB sneaks to get first downs. And he improvised, turning potential negative plays into positive gains.

All in all, it was a masterclass from Nix. And that’s the biggest takeaway from the game. That’s the most-important answer that was provided.

Yes, it’s nice to show the football world that the Broncos are for real. But anyone who seriously doubted that was full of hot air. Teams don’t put together double-digit winning streaks in the NFL because they’re lucky; it takes much more than good bounces to go nearly three months without a loss.

What really mattered was finding out that Nix could deliver on the big stage; he could thrive in massive games, against quality opponents. And he did just that on Sunday.

The quarterback finished the day with 23 completions on 34 attempts, throwing for 302 yards and four touchdowns. He didn’t take a sack, didn’t have a turnover and posted a 134.7 QB rating. And most importantly, he led his team to 34 points.

Denver has shown this season that they can win in every which way. But Sunday was the cherry on top.

The Broncos beat the Packers because they had the better offense. More specifically, they won because they had the better quarterback.

It wasn’t Jordan Love and his $220 million contract. It wasn’t the guy Tony Romo was touting as an MVP candidate at the beginning of the game.

Bo Nix was sensational in a huge game. That’s the biggest headline from a massive win.