DENVER — The Broncos reside somewhere between a fluke and a joke.

Seriously, that is the prevailing national opinion.

No team boasting a 10-game winning streak and 11 straight victories at home has ever been given less respect.

The Broncos are underdogs to the Packers this Sunday. Not the 1997 Packers with Brett Favre, Reggie White and Antonio Freeman. The current group with Jordan Love, Micah Parsons and Christian Watson. A team that has lost to the Eagles — whom the Broncos beat on the road — the Panthers and Browns.

It does not matter what the Broncos have done — post an 11-2 record. It remains about what they can’t do. So what is that?

They are not capable of burying teams offensively, staying balanced or leaning on rookie running back R.J. Harvey against an elite opponent. That Cheesehead logic stinks more than Vieux-Boulogne.

Let’s get straight to the point. For weeks, there have been doubts. Well-deserved doubts after the Broncos beat the Texans, Raiders, Chiefs and Commanders by a combined 10 points. So why don’t they get the benefit of the doubt this week?

There is the belief that Love will outplay Bo Nix. Time for Nix to shut up critics. Again.

For the first 10 games, Nix was hard to trust, playing erratically for three quarters before throwing on a cape in the fourth. And he might struggle against the Packers, whose defense compares favorably to the Broncos save for their 22 fewer sacks. But Nix probably won’t, judging by the past three games.

Nix looks more comfortable as coach Sean Payton has mixed in uptempo and found easy completions with tight ends — they need more Evan Engram targets in the middle of the field Sunday — swing passes and security blanket Courtland Sutton. Payton is calling a game for who Nix is — not who he wants him to be.

And Nix is no longer a product of comebacks.

Starting with the Chiefs game, he has completed 70% of his passes for 828 yards and one interception. So what’s the problem? He has one touchdown. He needs more splash plays.

Green Bay will look to make the Broncos one-dimensional, putting the game on Nix. He is ready for this.

He is developing into an elite passer and processor. Payton has to help him, while also letting him audible into big strikes. The coach will scheme guys open. He always does. But 212 yards on 38 attempts won’t work this week. More like 250 on 35 with two scores, preferably on play action.

Don’t think Nix can do it? He already has, outperforming Dak Prescott, who was an MVP candidate in October, and Patrick Mahomes, who is well, Patrick Mahomes.

Nix received the backhanded compliment of game manager after the latest Raiders victory. His role was by design. The Broncos were intent on controlling the clock and establishing their run game. Nix executed the plan. He did his job. But this week the job is harder. The vanilla ice cream needs sprinkles.

It means Adam Prentice cannot have the longest play at 18 yards. Nix must deliver explosives. Not like a border run for fireworks in Cheyenne. But a few loud booms, nonetheless.

Love is the reason. Isn’t it for everything?

Lots of times, teams exaggerate the “Us vs. The World” stuff, but it fits this weekend. Outside of Broncos Country, nobody believes Denver is better than the Packers. Because nobody believes Nix is better than Love.

He is not this season. But he can be in this game.

Love has earned national respect. He is 4-1-1 on the road with 14 touchdowns, one interception and a 113.9 quarterback rating. He is legit.

Nobody knows this better than Mike Sanford, who is connected to both quarterbacks.

Sanford served as Love’s offensive coordinator during his draft season at Utah State in 2019. Love finished with 17 interceptions, but was asked to take chances to support a porous defense. The Aggies averaged 29.2 points, and Love was drafted 26th overall.

“We needed Jordan to carry us,” said Sanford, now the coach at Valor Christian High School and radio host at Altitude Sports. “It was the weirdest year for me. I had to deprogram how I coached in some ways. That is when Mahomes was all the rage, and with Jordan, I was able to see what people were talking about.

“He was able to change arm angles, and there were times after practice we would watch the film and realize he made a throw probably only about five people on planet earth could make.”

Sanford connected with Love. While out of coaching during the 2023 season, he attended three Packers games in person. He knows how dangerous Love is and views the Christian Watson vs. Patrick Surtain II matchup as a likely determining factor in the outcome.

“The Packers have the ability to make big plays,” Sanford said.

Nix does too. Beyond covering training camp practices, Sanford got to know Nix a little bit as he helped run his football camp in May at Valor Christian. He sees Nix through a coach’s eyes, and likes the current trend.

“He has been so mature. It is hard not to be impressed with how clean Bo has been playing and how Sean has been calling the games,” Sanford said. “I think Sean has done a really good job of adapting to things Bo likes.”

This is the Broncos’ latest biggest game of the season. And they need it more than the Packers, who are set up for a letdown with a trip to Denver sandwiched between two games against the Bears.

The road to the Super Bowl has not been this wide open in decades. The Broncos recognize what is at stake: Their reputation and the pole position to the AFC’s top seed.

The Broncos know what people say about them, think about them. They haven’t lost since Sept. 21 — and they are underdogs at home?

Time to silence critics. Time to make them Bo-lieve.

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