Bo Nix unfazed by underdog status as Broncos, winners of 10 straight, prepare for Packers showdown

“My mom thinks we'll win,” the second-year quarterback said after Wednesday's practice. “So that's all that matters.”

The red-hot Broncos (11-2) are looking at the game on Sunday as almost a playoff preview — intensity-wise, anyway — given the Packers (9-3-1) are one of the NFC's top teams.

“I know they're going to come in with a really good plan. I know it's going to be a really good football game,” said Nix, whose team is a 2 1/2-point underdog at Empower Field at Mile High despite winning 11 straight home games. “It’s pretty much going to be like playoff football, and that’s what you get in December. At the end of the season, that’s what you’re playing for.”

One thing Nix will do is constantly scan the field for Green Bay's No. 1 — pass-rush specialist Micah Parsons, who has 12 1/2 sacks this season. Parsons can line up just about anywhere on the defensive front and cause disruption.

“You definitely don’t want to make them bigger than the game,” Nix said of elite pass rushers. “But you definitely don’t want them to take over the football game. We’ll always be aware of where (Parsons) is at for certain calls, but you definitely have to play the game and you have to also allow our players to do their best against him.”

The teams have some familiarity with each other after holding a joint practice in August 2024. Packers coach Matt LaFleur reflected on that day in his news conference Wednesday, saying, “they kind of put it on us pretty good.”

Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II concurred.

“I believe we did,” Surtain said with a grin.

It was a spirited day, too, with tempers boiling over after Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto appeared to knock quarterback Jordan Love to the ground on a play. Love later acknowledged it was one of his own linemen who crashed into him just as he was about to release the ball.

“Very competitive but I feel like we brought more energy and juice," Surtain said.

That practice really put the Broncos defense on the radar for LaFleur. The Broncos have a league-best 55 sacks this season, which is the most by a team through 13 games since the New Orleans Saints had 56 in 2000.

“I didn't know a ton about that defense at that time,” LaFleur said. “They were legit.”

Can the Broncos use anything from the joint practice going into Sunday?

“It feels like it was five years ago,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “We’ll look at (the film), but we’re really looking at this point in the season. We have such a volume of tape with their personnel that we’re currently seeing. I have a hard time remembering last week let alone the joint practice. I know we had good work, and the teams worked well together."

Notes: TE Nate Adkins (knee) and guard Ben Powers (biceps) were limited in practice Wednesday while receiver Pat Bryant didn't participate due to a hamstring ailment. ... Returner Marvin Mims Jr. was named the AFC special teams player of the week. He had a 48-yard punt return for a score in a 24-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

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