Take it from a Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end and one of the greatest Denver Broncos to ever wear the uniform, Shannon Sharpe knows what it takes to win.
Judging by what he’s seen in the first half of the Broncos’ Thursday Night Football matchup with the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders, it’s safe to say he isn’t too impressed.
Shannon Sharpe Takes Aim at Poor Broncos Offense
It’s been a successful season to this point for head coach Sean Payton and second-year starting quarterback Bo Nix. They’re tied for the best record in football at 7-2, and they’ve rattled off six consecutive wins.
Thursday night, however, the Raiders are giving them all that they can handle, earning some disdain from Sharpe.
“Can Bo and Broncos offense start the gm off good once?” Sharpe wrote in a post on X.
Can Bo and Broncos offense start the gm off good once? #BroncosCountry #RaidersBroncos
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) November 7, 2025
Not only were the Broncos down 7-0 at home, but their offense showed little to no spark, opening the game with four straight three-and-outs; two of them starting inside their own five-yard line after excellent punts from AJ Cole. By halftime, the Broncos and Raiders were tied 7-7 after an underwhelming first half that featured a Bo Nix interception and a dropped deep ball from Dont’e Thornton.
Bo Nix, Broncos’ Offense Struggling Against AFC West Foe
The Broncos have failed to sustain a single drive. Nix has completed four of his seven passes for 28 yards, and he’s been sacked once, while the backfield tandem of J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey has carried the ball just five times for 26 yards. It took until there were just under six minutes left in the second quarter for the Broncos to secure a first down.
While the Broncos’ offensive output has been dismal, the Raiders haven’t been much to write home about, either. Of their five offensive possessions in the first half, they’ve punted three times and turned the ball over on downs once. They do have an eight-play, 41-yard scoring drive that has them ahead.
In nine games for the Broncos in what is now his second season at the helm, Nix has completed just north of 61% of his passes for 1,976 yards, 17 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions. He was drafted with the No. 12 overall selection, so he still has some work to do in validating the Broncos’ decision to spend such a high pick on someone who is expected to be their next franchise quarterback.
Sharpe, who spent 12 of his 14 years in the NFL with the Broncos, has certainly had his fair share of poor offensive performances. Across the span of such a lengthy career, it’s inevitable. Even so, he’s amassed 10,060 career receiving yards and 62 touchdowns in 204 games, not including the postseason.