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Shannon Sharpe didn’t just like what he saw from Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. He went big after Nix’s four-touchdown performance in a 34-26 win over the Green Bay Packers.
On the “Nightcap” show, Sharpe said the Broncos (12-2) look like a different team when Nix plays at a high level, arguing Denver’s formula becomes scary if the offense matches what the defense is already doing.
Nix finished 23-of-34 for 302 yards and four touchdowns, taking no sacks, while Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Michael Bandy all caught touchdown passes in the win. It was the third highest throwing yardage performance of the season for Nix, and the second time this season he’s thrown four touchdown passes.
Shannon Sharpe Goes Big on Bo Nix After Broncos Beat Packers
Sharpe repeatedly returned to the same point: Denver’s defense has been giving the Broncos a chance most weeks, but when the quarterback stacks an elite game on top of that, the ceiling changes.
“Bo Nix played some hell of a ball today,” Sharpe said during the discussion, adding that Denver becomes extremely tough to beat if Nix can deliver that level of play consistently.
The key word, though, was consistently. Sharpe noted that games like this haven’t been an every-week thing, but the upside is obvious when Nix is clean in the pocket and distributing the ball across multiple targets.
Sharpe also highlighted that this one wasn’t just dink-and-dunk production. Nix pushed the ball, spread it around, and most importantly avoided the back-breaking plays — no sacks and no constant negative swings that put the offense behind schedule.
What It Means for the Broncos If Nix Plays Like This Again
Sharpe’s takeaway was simple: Denver’s defense is good enough to make them dangerous, and Nix’s best games raise the Broncos into another tier.
The show credited defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s pressure packages and the overall pass rush for disrupting Jordan Love after a hot start, pointing to a group that can come from multiple angles. Sharpe also mentioned Patrick Surtain II (“P2”) as the type of difference-maker Denver expects to show up in big spots.
That’s what makes the quarterback conversation pop. If the Broncos can win with defense and complementary offense, they can hang around. If Nix plays like he did against Green Bay — efficient, aggressive, protected, and productive in the red zone — the Broncos start looking like a team nobody wants to see on the schedule.
Of course, Sharpe also made it clear this is the challenge: turning a headline performance into a trend.
Stats, Context and the One Thing That Still Bugged Sharpe
Even while praising Nix, Sharpe still found time to question one major decision: Sean Payton’s choice to go for two at one point instead of taking the extra point.
Sharpe argued the math didn’t add up and that a standard PAT would have created a tougher situation for Green Bay, rather than keeping the game in a one-possession window.
But the biggest headline from Sharpe’s reaction wasn’t the strategy complaint. It was the idea that the Broncos’ identity gets a lot scarier when Nix plays like a high-end starter.
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
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