While many expected the Denver Broncos to be solid this year after making the playoffs in 2024, few predicted they would start 8-2 and hold a firm lead in the AFC West by Week 10. Despite looking like one of the league’s top teams, a former NFL linebacker argued that the Broncos’ success isn’t sustainable and that quarterback Bo Nix is holding the team back.
Ex-NFL Linebacker Says Bo Nix is Holding the Broncos Back
The Broncos have found a way to win a lot of ugly games this season. Aside from two of their eight victories, every win has been decided by one score, with Denver’s defense, ranked the league’s best according to PFSN’s DEFi metric, often carrying the team.
After the Broncos escaped with a win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night, former NFL linebacker Bart Scott said on ESPN’s “Get Up” that Nix is holding the team back. Scott criticized the young quarterback for his inaccuracy and struggles with the deep ball, adding that head coach Sean Payton’s offense simplifies the game for him.
.@BartScott57 believes the Broncos are being held back by Bo Nix 😯 pic.twitter.com/8ob7l6GAlD
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) November 7, 2025
“This is a team being held back by their quarterback,” Scott said. “You just have to call a spade a spade. I was in that London game. It was horrible; it was hard to watch. They’re getting away with smoke and mirrors, throwing a lot of balls behind the line of scrimmage. He’s not accurate, he’s not making plays down the field.”
It may seem like harsh criticism for a quarterback who has helped lead his team to an 8-2 start, but Scott isn’t entirely wrong. Nix ranks 15th among NFL quarterbacks this season in PFSN’s QBi metric, while the Broncos’ offense ranks 16th in the league according to PFSN’s OFFi metric.
While those numbers aren’t terrible, they aren’t great either, raising the question: Can an average offense paired with an elite defense find postseason success? Scott doesn’t think so. He explained that the defense can only carry the team so far and warned that if Nix continues to play at this level, the Broncos could be a one-and-done team in the playoffs.
“He’s been held up by this defense, but that defense can only hold up so long,” Scott said. “What happens if the defense has a bad day? Can he overcome it? Now, we’ve seen it happen one time, but it was a crazy chain of events in the Giants game. This isn’t sustainable, and they’re setting themselves up to be a one-and-done team.”
While Scott’s criticism of Nix is likely not far off, the Broncos have still found ways to win. No matter how a team secures a victory, a win is still a win. It remains to be seen whether Scott’s doubts about the sustainability of Denver’s success will prove to be warranted, but for now, the Broncos sit at 8-2, with Nix doing just enough to win football games.