The Good, Bad, & Ugly in Broncos' 34-26 Win Over Packers

As we continue sifting through the aftermath of the Denver Broncos' thrilling upset over the Green Bay Packers, it's time to chronicle the good, bad, and ugly from Week 15.

Dec 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks with quarterback Bo Nix (10) during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos entered Week 15 as home underdogs to the Green Bay Packers. That's just how the bettors viewed the Broncos, despite their 10-game winning streak and undefeated home record this season.

Coming out of Sunday's action, though, it's safe to say that the NFL and people at large will be viewing the Broncos through a different lens, after vanquishing the Packers 34-26. The victory kept Denver atop the AFC West, and with the New England Patriots losing on Sunday, the Broncos are now in sole possession of the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC.

As we continue sifting through the aftermath of the Broncos' 12th-win, which clinched a playoff berth, it's time to dive into this week's good, bad, and ugly, starting with the positive.

The Good: Bo Nix Shines in Marquee Matchup

In the run-up to Broncos-Packers, all of the media attention centered around Jordan Love. After all, he's an officially anointed darling quarterback of the NFL.

Nix garnered short shrift in comparison to Love in the national press. The Broncos' quarterback was basically an afterthought.

Perhaps it gave Nix a little extra juice, because Momma was right: the Broncos beat the Packers, thanks, in large part, to Bo's massive performance. The stakes and the scrutiny were high, and Nix not only delivered — he rose to the occasion, out-dueling Love handily.

Nix would go 23-of-34 for 304 yards and four touchdowns, finishing with a quarterback rating of 134.7 against a top-ranked Packers defense. Love was very good for most of the night, but when his team needed him most, he threw two second-half interceptions and crumbled under pressure.

Now, in fairness, Love was going against the NFL's league-leading defense in the sack department, but he had an equal opportunity to seize the moment. Instead, it was Nix who reached above and beyond Love's grasp, and sent the Packers home as losers.

"Remember, for 15 years [with former Saints QB Drew Brees], I had one personality, and they couldn’t be more different just from a personality standpoint," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said of Nix post-game. "Then I’ve had the good fortune of coaching others. It’s learning him and him smiling even when we’re down. I mean, there’s just a competitive nature about him that’s refreshing.”

Bonus Good: Courtland Sutton Goes Over 100 Yards

Sutton turned in an epic performance worthy of his team captainship. He led all Broncos receivers with seven receptions on 10 targets for 113 yards and a touchdown.

Once again, Sutton came up big in crucial moments, including a beautiful catch deep down the left sideline on a gotta-have-it 4th-&-3. By virtue of his performance, Sutton leapfrogged Ed McCaffrey in the Broncos' all-time annals, moving to fifth place in receiving yardage in team history.

COURTLAND. SUTTON.#ProBowlVote | 📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/9wHqxk8uUi

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 15, 2025

What happens next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

The Bad: Refs Targeting Riley Moss

Dec 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden (0) drops a pass as Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss (21) defends during the third quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

I'm sorry if this upsets the 'Moss sucks' crowd, but he played a heck of a game against the Packers. It's impossible to be perfect as an NFL cornerback, and while Moss will occasionally give up a completion here and there, he more than makes up for it with his blanketing of receivers and his physical presence on the boundary of Denver's defense.

Moss was penalized for pass interference against the Packers, which was a third-down play that Love chucked deep down the field in hopes of drawing a flag against the Broncos' No. 2 corner. Moss broke up the pass and just as he was celebrating the achievement of getting the Packers off the field, the yellow laundry rained down.

Ok the refs might really just hate Riley Moss because this is not DPI pic.twitter.com/uoKuPcgtIx

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) December 14, 2025

It was a phantom call, made strictly because of Moss' 'reputation' as a grabber at the catch point. Moss leads all NFL defenders in penalties this season, and while he has to own up to his fair share, more than half of them have either been ticky-tack or bad calls. Sunday night was no different.

As Patrick Surtain II lamented a few weeks back, it feels as if NFL officials are unfairly targeting Moss. That's why it was beautifully poetic to see him pick off Love in the fourth quarter, ending a crucial Packers drive.

The Broncos have another gripe for the NFL front office this week because that phantom P.I. call on Moss not only kept that Packers drive alive, but led to an ensuing touchdown romp by Josh Jacobs against a shell-shocked defense that couldn't believe the penalty. Talk about bad.

The Ugly: RJ Harvey's Fumble

Dec 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey (12) runs for a gain during the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

For the first time in his career, Harvey fumbled a way the football. It came on the Broncos' opening drive, and led to the Packers' first points of the game. Fortunately, the Broncos' defense limited the damage to a field goal.

It was a harsh lesson for the rookie. But it didn't dissuade Payton from relying on Harvey to carry the load on the ground.

Harvey finished the game with a career-high 19 carries for 65 yards (3.4 avg) and a touchdown. That score gave him his 10th of the season, tying him with Phillip Lindsay for the third-most touchdowns by a Broncos rookie running back.

Only Clinton Portis (17) and Mike Anderson (15) had more total touchdowns as a rookie. There's time yet for Harvey to get a little bit close to those two rookie legends.

Credit to Harvey for not going into a shell after his costly fumble. He ran hard on Sunday against a stiff Packers defense, and ended the game with a rib injury.

We can only hope that it's not serious. Stay tuned, as we'll report as soon as we glean any additional information on the extent of Harvey's injury.