ClutchPoints
There are wins that pad a record, and then there are wins that redraw the league’s power map. The Denver Broncos’ 34-26 comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers in Week 15 squarely falls into the latter category. Down at halftime, unbothered by mistakes, and ruthless after adjustments, Denver didn’t just beat a desperate playoff contender. The Broncos reminded the entire AFC who now sets the standard. At 12-2, riding an 11-game winning streak and sitting alone atop the NFL standings, the Broncos are no longer a great Cinderella story. They are the team everyone else is chasing.
The Broncos rallied from a 16–14 halftime deficit to extend their winning streak to 11 games. The first half was a tight, back-and-forth affair dominated by field position and special teams. Former Bronco Brandon McManus accounted for all of Green Bay’s early scoring with four field goals. That included a 53-yarder and a 35-yard kick as time expired in the second quarter. Denver answered with two efficient touchdown drives. Those were highlighted by Bo Nix’s 20-yard scoring pass to Michael Bandy and a 5-yard touchdown throw to Lil’Jordan Humphrey. Still, they entered the break trailing by two after McManus’ late strike.
Green Bay briefly seized momentum coming out of halftime when Josh Jacobs ripped off a 40-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 23–14. However, that proved to be the Packers’ last moment of control. Nix responded with his sharpest stretch of the afternoon. He led three consecutive touchdown drives to flip the game. He connected with Courtland Sutton on a 14-yard touchdown, then found Troy Franklin for a 23-yard score to give Denver a 27–23 edge late in the third quarter. After McManus pulled Green Bay within one with another field goal early in the fourth, the Broncos closed the door with a methodical 65-yard drive capped by RJ Harvey’s 4-yard touchdown run.
Nix finished with 302 passing yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, Sutton topped 110 receiving yards. Denver’s offense consistently turned possessions into points. They pulled away from a Packers team that could no longer keep pace once touchdowns replaced field goals.
Here we’ll try to look at and discuss the Indianapolis Broncos’ playoff chances and their updated odds after their week 15 win over the Packers.
What separated this win from dozens of others around the league was how clinical Denver looked once adjustments were made. There was no panic or deviation from identity. Just execution.
Sean Payton leaned into Nix’s strengths. He spread the field, forced mismatches, and trusted his quarterback to make decisive reads. Nix rewarded that faith, later crediting Payton for allowing him to be his ‘authentic self.’ That seems to be a phrase that perfectly captures the Broncos’ offensive rhythm. This isn’t a quarterback being managed. This is a quarterback being unleashed within structure.
Green Bay, by contrast, tightened up. Conservative play-calling, protection breakdowns, and stalled drives defined their second half. The Packers scored just 13 points...
