Getty
Bo Nix is not interested in celebrating 10-2.
After the Denver Broncos stretched their win streak to nine games and stayed firmly in the mix for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the second-year quarterback made it clear he sees 10 wins as a checkpoint, not a finish line. He made his most recent comments during a press conference on December 3.
“10-2 is hard to do,” Nix said, before quickly adding that Denver “didn’t work this hard to just win 10,” noting the team also hit 10 wins at the very end of last season. For Nix, the message is simple: acknowledging the progress is fine, but getting comfortable with it is not.
Broncos QB Hates Losing More Than He Loves Winning
Asked whether he hates losing more than he loves winning, Nix didn’t hesitate. He said he “really enjoy[s] winning” — and that’s exactly why he can’t stand to lose.
That mentality, he explained, is part natural wiring and part experience. He pointed to all the late-game situations he’s lived through, from his first two-minute drills in high school to the tight finishes Denver has survived this season. The Broncos have been one of the league’s best in one-score games in 2025, stringing together a series of tight wins during their nine-game streak.
“You learn how not to lose, you learn how not to beat yourself,” Nix said. With so many reps in final-drive situations — both wins and losses — he said a two-minute march now feels like “just another drive,” more about controlling his nerves and the controllables than anything else.
That hate-to-lose mindset is shared by head coach Sean Payton, according to Nix. He called Payton “very detailed, very specific” and said the veteran coach might be “one of those guys that hates losing more than he likes winning,” which Nix views as a key bond between the two.
What Nix’s Mindset Means for the Broncos’ Playoff Push
Denver’s 10-2 start and nine-game win streak mean the Broncos control their own destiny down the stretch, including a looming divisional road game against the Las Vegas Raiders that could be pivotal for seeding.
Nix said the worst thing the Broncos could do right now is let outside voices tear down their record, whether it’s critics saying they “haven’t played anybody” or that the defense is carrying the load. He pushed back on that whole narrative, pointing out that wins still come against NFL teams “who pay their players just as much” as Denver does.
At the same time, he doesn’t want the locker room acting like the job is done. Nix framed 10-2 as both an accomplishment and a reminder of what’s left. The Broncos believe they “could have been even better,” and he emphasized that Denver “didn’t work as hard to just win 10,” especially with five regular-season games still on the schedule.
The quarterback said coming to work is easier when the team is playing for something real: playoff positioning, a potential division crown, and possibly more. But he also warned against thinking too far ahead, repeating the team’s “next game” mentality.
Inside Nix’s ‘Backyard Ball’ With Pat Bryant & Courtland Sutton
Part of what’s fueling the Broncos’ rise is Nix’s ability to extend plays and trust his receivers when things break down. He admitted there’s a league-wide debate about quarterbacks using their legs versus staying healthy, but said he can’t play with a fear of getting hurt in a “physical sport.”
For Nix, scrambling is all about manipulating defenses and punishing coverages that don’t account for the quarterback as a runner. When he breaks the pocket, he said receivers know the rules: if they’re deep, work back; if they’re short, turn it up; if they’re in the middle, find a lane.
He pointed to rookie wide receiver Pat Bryant — a third-round pick out of Illinois who has started to carve out a bigger role — as a textbook example. Bryant turned a vertical route into a 12-yard scramble-drill first down by working back down the numbers, the kind of chain-moving play his scouting reports predicted when Denver drafted him.
On another play, Nix said Courtland Sutton didn’t need to freestyle much at all on a touchdown; he simply stayed on his route and “moved with” the quarterback as Nix worked outside structure. To Nix, that’s “backyard ball,” the controlled chaos that has helped Denver find game-winning drives on offense, complemented by a defense and special-teams unit that have also delivered in crunch time.
As the Broncos chase more than just a fast start, their young quarterback is drawing the line in the sand. Ten wins are great. Ten wins this early are rare. But for Bo Nix, anything short of turning that start into something bigger simply isn’t good enough.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Anderson is also the host of The Rip City Pod on The I-5 Corridor, where he dives into the stories and personalities shaping the Portland Trail Blazers. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
More Heavy on Broncos
Loading more stories