Bo Nix has spent plenty of time taking heat, but the Broncos keep stacking wins.
That’s the part of this story that’s hard to ignore. Denver is 21-5 over its last 26 games, a stretch that goes back to the start of the 2025 season, and Nix has been right in the middle of it the whole way.
Even after last year’s playoff run, the criticism never really let up. The noise has been loud enough that even a healthy Nix, the source piece argues, could have pushed the Broncos to the Super Bowl.
Still, the results keep coming. Nix and Sean Payton keep winning, and now at least one national voice is starting to say out loud what Broncos fans have been saying for a while.
CBS analyst Ross Tucker was on the call for Denver’s 26-21 win over the Panthers in Week 9, and he made his case plainly after another efficient outing from Nix.
"All the guy does is win." @RossTuckerNFL explains why Bo Nix deserves more credit for protecting the football and making winning plays. @RedBirdFarms @woodypaige @TGreenDenver #Broncos #NFL pic.twitter.com/c1vZ2aIfb
- Guerilla Sports (@guerillasports) November 12, 2026
"I personally think Bo gets a little bit of a bad rap. All the guy does is win - and I know people want to see bigger numbers or drive the ball down the field more.
Well, first of all, he can not help it if the other team keeps interfering with the receivers, so the yards are pass-interference yards as opposed to passing yards for him. But the things he does really well: protect the football... does not take sacks... those are winning plays.
Show me the guy who did not take a sack and did not throw a pick. That team is going to win a majority of those games."
Tucker’s point fits what happened against Carolina. The Panthers were flagged for 13 penalties and 119 yards, including five pass interference calls, four of which were accepted for 59 yards.
Nix finished with 237 passing yards, and when you add the penalty yardage to the completions, Denver’s passing game accounted for 296 yards of production. The source material makes clear that the Broncos can’t control the flags, only the throws that invite them, and Nix is putting the ball where defenders have to make a play.
The bigger picture is that he’s cutting down on mistakes. Through nine games, Nix has only four interceptions, which puts him on pace for seven over the season.
He’s been tagged for years as a game manager and a checkdown merchant, and this year he almost seems to be leaning into that label. The difference is that it’s working.
That safer approach has helped Denver avoid the kind of quick-change situations that can put a defense on its heels. It matters even more with the Broncos’ defense banged up more than usual this season. And with Jeremy Crawshaw having been one of the five or six best punters in football, Denver keeps winning the hidden-yardage battle too.
That’s part of the identity now: force bad field position, make stops, punt, then let the offense work with a shorter field. Even a drive that ends after one first down can still put Denver within field-goal range. It’s not flashy, and it probably won’t land the Broncos the A-segment on Get Up or First Things First, but it has them sitting atop the AFC West and in the mix for the AFC’s top seed.
In Other News...
Broncos Bye Week Review Shows Why This 7-2 Start Feels Different
A 7-2 start has given Denver plenty to sort through during the bye week, and the early-season review only reinforces how many different ways this team has found to win. The Broncos have built their place near the top of the AFC West on more than one signature moment, from Nik Bonittos strip sack against Carolina to JaQuan McMillians overtime interception against Seattle, with Bo Nixs 62-yard touchdown run against Arizona and Talanoa Hufangas two-interception game against the Rams also standing out.
JL Skinners goal-line stop against Kansas City belongs in that same conversation, a reminder that Denvers best stretches have come on defense and in high-leverage spots. The broader ranking captures why this start feels different, because the Broncos are not leaning on one breakout or one lucky bounce, but a string of defining plays that have kept stacking up as the season has moved along. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Just Raised A Bigger J.K. Dobbins Question
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What makes that more interesting now is how the Broncos arrived at Dobbins as their primary runner in the first place. A potential move for Jonathan Taylor from the Colts fell apart, leaving Denver to keep Dobbins as the lead option and raising the bigger question of whether the front office sees him as a long-term fit or simply the best answer available at the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Bye Week Could Reshape The Line In Front Of Bo Nix
The Broncos are heading into their bye week with a familiar problem staring them in the face: the offensive line in front of Bo Nix has not been good enough. Sean Payton has acknowledged the issues after the game against the Chiefs, and the numbers around Denvers run game reflect it, with the team lagging near the bottom in conversion rate and yards per carry.
What makes the timing interesting is that the break gives Denver a chance to tinker before the next game, against the Raiders, and there is already outside buzz about a possible reshuffle up front. Columnist Troy Renck has pointed to Ben Powers, Alex Palczewski and Luke Wattenberg as names to watch, which suggests the Broncos may not just be looking for better blocking, but a different mix altogether. [Read more 🡒]