Tony Romo says Bo Nix and the Broncos are for real… and he’s right

The Denver Broncos entered Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers as a home underdog.

When it was all said and done, Bo Nix called game and dubbed his team the “overdog.”

In the grand scheme of things, what Vegas says before kickoff doesn’t matter unless one is willing to wager. Such a line – Green Bay -1.5 – does, however, serve as a strong indicator that, up until now, few have been buying what Denver’s been selling.

Ten straight wins? Yea but…

Best defense in the NFL? Yea but…

The schedule… the point differential… the luck…

If the Broncos had yet to be tested, they were Sunday. The road-favorite Packers were as advertised, but the Broncos were better.

If Sunday provided the test that every Broncos skeptic seemed to require, then the ifs and buts are looking more like candy and nuts as Sean Payton’s team approaches Christmas. The Broncos are good – damn good.

If doubters didn’t believe before, they should now. The Broncos own the NFL’s best record (12-2), the NFL’s longest win streak (11) and the NFL’s longest home winning streak (12). Sean Payton earned his way up the ranks under legendary coach Bill Parcells, who famously once said, “You are what your record says you are.”

Well then?

Denver has clinched a playoff berth, the only AFC team to do so. The Broncos hold a full game lead over New England for tops in the conference and two games over the Chargers for the AFC West. With just three games to play, Payton’s team control its own destiny.

The Broncos also trot out the most clutch quarterback in the entire league.

Bo Nix might not be the best in the NFL, but Sunday’s effort was his best ever – and it came at a most critical juncture. Furthermore, Nix’s performance over the Packers stacks up against any and every gunslinger in the NFL, all season long. The second-year quarterback went 23-of-34 for 302 yards and 4 touchdowns; his rating was a whopping 134.7. Only three other quarterbacks had better ratings on Sunday: Trevor Lawrence (136.7), C.J. Stroud (137.1) and Jalen Hurts (154.9). Then again, they played the Jets, Cardinals and Raiders respectively.

Nix performance – or season, for that matter – can’t be defined by numbers alone.

“There are so many different plays to reference,” Payton said of Nix’s outing.

The Packers boast the fifth-best defense in the league when it comes to yards and points allowed; Nix went toe-to-toe with an NFL heavyweight and came out on top. Tying his career-high four touchdown passes in a statement game is impressive, but tossing zero interceptions is equally significant. The Broncos were a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone, a testament to Nix’s composure in critical situations. And don’t forget, this was yet another come-from-behind win for Nix, who guided the Broncos back from a 23-14 third quarter deficit. To put it mildly, the bigger the moment, the bigger Bo becomes.

“It may look ugly at times, but it really doesn’t matter. There is always a way to win the game,” Nix told reporters after the win.

It has looked ugly at times.

But there’s not much prettier than 12-2.

The last time Tony Romo served as the color analyst for a Broncos game, fans of the orange and blue accused him of being a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs. Romo was on the call again Sunday against the Packers. In Green Bay, the Packers faithful quipped that he favored the Broncos.

Right before he signed off, Romo said something about that Broncos that suddenly sounds spot on.

“They’re for real.”