Broncos are underdogs at home against Packers despite 10-game win streak

DENVER — For the first time in a decade, Denver Broncos (11-2) stand atop the AFC playoff race heading into the holidays. They're the league's only unbeaten team at home. They've won 10 consecutive games and they've saddled their last 11 visitors with a loss going back 14 months.

And they are 2 1/2-point underdogs at home to the Green Bay Packers (9-3-1) on Sunday, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

It's the NFL’s Week 15 marquee matchup, a tussle featuring Micah Parsons and Nik Bonitto, Jordan Love and Bo Nix, and pitting teams with obdurate defenses and opportunistic offenses that could very well serve as a Super Bowl appetizer.

Oddsmakers, though, have joined the legions of NFL fans who view the Broncos' longest winning streak in the post-Peyton Manning era with equal doses of criticism and skepticism.

“I love it. It fuels me, honestly,” Bonitto said. “I like when people doubt us. They can stay on that side. We'll go out and prove what we've got to prove.”

Just like they've been doing ever since their last-second loss at the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3, which followed a walk-off loss at Indianapolis. Since then, the Broncos have set an NFL record with nine consecutive comebacks, a streak that ended last week with a comfortable win at Las Vegas, and tied another mark with four straight wins by a field goal or less.

The Broncos have grown accustomed to all the doubters who view their pile of close victories with more suspicion than admiration and who keep suggesting their live-on-the-edge habits don't make for a sustainable winning recipe.

“Personally, I couldn't care less,” All-Pro kick returner Marvin Mims Jr. said. “But I mean some guys feel disrespected by it.”

Bo Nix isn't among those who feel offended by the national suspicion of the Broncos' championship bona fides — or those who install them as home underdogs.

“My mom thinks we’ll win,” the Broncos' second-year quarterback said with a laugh. “So that’s all that matters.”

Watson’s emergence

Packers wide receiver Christian Watson didn’t start playing until Oct. 26 as he returned from a torn ACL, but the 2022 second-round pick still could end up having his best season.

Watson has scored five touchdowns, all in his last four games. He has 25 catches for 452 yards in seven games. The TD total is his highest since his rookie season, when he had nine.

“He’s making plays, it feels like, every time the ball comes his way,” Love said. “I think he keeps elevating and getting better and better.”

Packers facing a streaking team

According to Elias Sports Bureau, this marks the second straight year — and the fourth time ever — that the Packers have faced a team that has won at least 10 straight games with all the victories in the same season. Last season, the Packers lost 34-31 at Detroit for the Lions’ 11th straight victory.

The Packers won their other two times in this situation. They beat Detroit 3-0 on Nov. 25, 1934, and they defeated Seattle 23-17 on Jan. 1, 2006.

The trip to Denver is sandwiched between two games against the rival Chicago Bears. The Packers snapped Chicago’s five-game winning streak with a 28-21 victory at Lambeau Field on Sunday. The Packers face the Bears again on Dec. 20 in Chicago.

“What a great challenge,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “But also, I think there’s great opportunity that goes with that.”

The Broncos also have a challenging stretch run with visits from the Jaguars and Chargers, both 9-4, sandwiched around a Christmas night game at Kansas City, where the Broncos haven't won since 2015.

Premier pass rushers

Sunday’s game features two of the NFL’s most prolific pass rushers in Green Bay’s Parsons and Denver’s Bonitto. They each have 12 1/2 sacks this season, putting them in a tie for third in the league.

Since the NFL started officially tracking sacks in 1982, Parsons is the first player to have at least 12 in each of his first five seasons. Bonitto could join Simon Fletcher as the only Broncos ever to have at least 13 1/2 sacks in back-to-back seasons.

Strength in numbers

It's not just Bonitto the Packers are concerned about. The Broncos lead the league with 55 sacks, putting them on pace for 72, which would tie the NFL record set by the 1984 Bears.

“I think they have a really solid group all around,” Love said. “It’s not just one guy that you can finger-point out, but all around that defense and especially that D-line, you look at it and they got playmakers and guys who are making plays and winning their 1-on-1 matchups. It’s a little bit different than a team that maybe only has one solid edge rusher that you make sure you get chips and lockdown that side.”

And don't forget Denver's stout secondary, led by reigning NFL defensive player of the year Pat Surtain II.

“There’s sometimes you see on film when he’s breaking on things before the receiver’s even breaking,” Love said. “I think it just goes into his film study, his knowledge of the game and his confidence in himself. I think he does a lot of things at a very high level.”

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AP Sports Writers Pat Graham and Steve Megargee contributed to this report.