“Y’all know what it is, we Broncos Country,” Shannon Sharpe said after Denver beat the Browns on ‘Monday Night Football.’
The Denver Broncos defeated the Cleveland Browns 41-32 in a thrilling Monday Night Football game to wrap up Week 13.
It’s fair to say Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe was fired up following the victory.
“Y’all know what it is, we Broncos Country,” Sharpe said on his Nightcap show co-hosted with Chad Johnson. “You go to the Mile High, 5,280 feet above sea level. You know when you come up in there, it ain’t an easy place to win.”
Sharpe did admit that Denver got a win “thanks to Jameis,” a reference to Jameis Winston throwing two interceptions, including two pick-sixes.
You can watch Sharpe’s complete game recap with Johnson below:
Sharpe played for the Broncos from 1990-1999, winning two Super Bowls in Denver. He then spent 2000-2001 with the Baltimore Ravens and won a third Super Bowl before returning to the Broncos to finish his career in Denver from 2002-2003.
An eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, Sharpe’s 10,060 receiving yards rank fifth among all tight ends in NFL history.
A controversial take about Joe Burrow and the Bengals.
While Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow continues to play at an MVP level, there continue to be detractors who throw blame at him for the team’s struggles.
Take, for example, Shannon Sharpe, who recently went on “First Take” and blasted Burrow for his turnovers during last week’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“If your defense can’t stop anybody,” Sharpe said, “what can’t you do at the quarterback position? Turn the ball over…he’s turning the ball over at the most inopportune times.”
Of course, the counterargument is that Burrow is doing everything he can to make plays while the roster holds him back. He lost two fumbles during the loss, while his lone interception was tipped.
At the end of the day, though, Burrow’s 67.7 completion percentage with 30 touchdowns against five interceptions and outright pocket heroics would have him as a likely MVP frontrunner, were he not counterbalanced by the league’s worst defense.
Sharpe is playing a role, though, and the fact Burrow has to play literally perfect, best-in-NFL ball at all times just for his team to pick up wins just spotlights what a miserable job the Bengals have done building around the star passer.
From Tom Brady to Colin Cowherd, the NFL world reacted in a big way to QB Bo Nix’s impressive performance.
After Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a historic performance against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11, NFL pundits have offered their takes on the first-year signal caller. Here’s a recap of the reactions this week.
Tom Brady names Bo Nix one of his 3 stars of the week
The pair mentioned in the game against Atlanta, Nix had his highest yards-per-pass (9.8) of the season.
Chris Simms breaks down Bo Nix’s ‘surgically explosive’ performance
Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms has seen the difference for the Broncos offense. “I just love the look of Bo Nix, I really do,” said Simms. “I love the offense they’re running, too.”
Shannon Sharpe, Chad Johnson chime in on Bo Nix’s big game
The two former pass catchers reacted to Nix’s huge stat line from the Falcons game. “(Nix) was one of three Bronco rookie quarterbacks to ever throw four touchdowns in a game,” noted Sharpe.
Colin Cowherd says Bo Nix is a top-12 quarterback in the NFL
After Nix had his highest stats of the season, ESPN insider Adam Schefter marveled at the young quarterback. “Rookies don’t do that,” Schefter remarked on the Pat McAfee Show. “That’s over 80 percent completion rate, four touchdowns, no interceptions. Bo Nix is getting better and better and better.”
Jamie Erdahl says Bo Nix was the NFL’s big winner in Week 11
Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky said that Nix is having a great season. “He’s got control and he has the answers,” said Orlovsky. “Control of everything they’re trying to do in Denver offensively.”
PFF reacts to Bo Nix’s play and Broncos’ impressive offensive line
Although the rest of the NFL is giving Nix all the love, PFF realized that the Broncos’ offensive line is a key part of the success Nix has been having throughout the season.
Tim Jenkins breaks down film of Bo Nix’s best game yet
Tim Jenkins called Nix’s historic performance “the best performance I’ve seen out of a rookie quarterback this season, and if I’m really being honest, the best performance I’ve seen from a Broncos quarterback in a long, long, long time.”
Kurt Benkert reviews Bo Nix’s great game vs. Falcons
Former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert broke down Nix’s incredible performance against Atlanta in an 18-minute video.
Doug Farrar breaks down Bo Nix’s recent rise
New All-22 video for @AthlonSports: Bo Nix’s ascent as the @Broncos‘ franchise QB after a long post-Peyton Manning search is happening. Sean Payton brought up two plays that speak to Nix’s recent development. Nix is taking one of the NFL’s most complex playbooks to the field. pic.twitter.com/w4qhzp9Eai
“Peyton Manning retired after the 2015 season, and from 2016-2023, the Denver Broncos threw 13 different quarterbacks into the fire to try and replace him,” said Farrar. “But now with 2024 first-round draft pick Bo Nix, Denver may finally have a guy to mercifully end that quarterback curse.”
Chris Long reacts to Bo Nix’s impressive improvement this season
Super Bowl champion Chris Long praised Nix, as an older rookie quarterback who is hitting his stride with head coach Sean Payton.
Chase Daniel says Bo Nix should be Rookie of the Year
“In my opinion, (Nix is) right now neck and neck with (Commanders quarterback) Jayden Daniels in the Offensive Rookie of the Year category,” said the former QB.
Nix is certainly making a serious case for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Can he continue this high-quality quarterback play through the rest of the season?
The Steelers face scrutiny over their playoff legitimacy as critics point to weak competition ahead of a pivotal Week 10 matchup.
Well, it appears not everyone is sold on the 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers’ recent success. As a matter of fact, former 2019 NFL MVP QB Cam Newton described it as “delusional” to rely on recent games and stats to portray the Steelers as playoff contenders.
Newton, appearing on ESPN’s First Take with Molly Qerim, Stephen A. Smith, and Shannon Sharpe, argued that the best evidence of the Steelers being pretenders rather than contenders lies in their most recent level of competition—the New York Giants and the New York Jets.
Stephen A. was quick to defend his favorite team, pointing out that the offense has consistently struggled for several years. While the level of competition may indeed be lacking, he emphasized that it is promising to see the offense perform well under Russell Wilson.
While it is easy to dismiss the opinion of a former player who has never won a Super Bowl, is Newton correct in his assessment?
Pittsburgh will aim to continue proving their doubters wrong as they begin the toughest second-half stretch in the NFL, starting with the Washington Commanders in Week 10 on November 10 at 1:00 PM EST.
“[Bo Nix] has got some athleticism,” Sharpe said. “He can run — needs to work on his accuracy — but you can do a lot of things with him.”
Former Denver Broncos tight end and Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe teamed up with former All-Pro wide receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson to break down the Broncos’ 33-10 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 7.
After talking about the injury-depleted Saints team that had 17 players on the injury report going into the game, Johnson turned his attention to the Broncos and the passing game.
“I would like to see if the Broncos are playing a better team, I would like to see them getting the passing game going a little bit more,” said Johnson. “Courtland Sutton, you gotta get him involved. He’s making too much money to be out there getting cardio in.” Sutton finished Week 7 without a single target.
Johnson then went on to praise Denver rookie quarterback Bo Nix. “I like Bo Nix,” said Johnson. “Bo Nix got moxie. I don’t even know what moxie mean!”
Sharpe also commented on the rookie. “(Nix) has got some athleticism,” said the Hall of Famer. “He can run, needs to work on his accuracy, but you can do a lot of things with him.”
Shannon Sharpe weighed in with his take on Bo Nix and Sean Payton getting into it on the sideline.
One of the biggest news stories this week surrounding the Denver Broncos has been the sideline spat between quarterback Bo Nix and head coach Sean Payton after a potential touchdown pass on Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
On ESPN’s First Take, former Bronco and current Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe reacted to the sideline shouting match between the two on Monday.
“Here’s the thing… my therapist used to say if you’re speaking Mandarin Chinese, and (your spouse) is speaking Spanish, y’all not on the same level, you’re not communicating,” said Sharpe. “You have to understand you can’t coach everybody, you gotta treat everybody fair, but you can’t treat everyone the same.
“When you’re in the NFL, Bo Nix is a grown man. He’s 24 years old,” said Sharpe. “Some men have wives, they have kids, they’re not going to let you talk to them less than.”
Sharpe then gave some advice for the 61-year old Payton: “Sean, just be careful. I understand that you’re a fiery coach, you just want to get your point across, but everybody’s not going to be receptive to your style of coaching and you just need to understand that.”
After the game, Nix and Payton seemed to bury the hatchet, with each man explaining their passion. Earlier this week, Nix even embraced the Ferris Bueller moniker that Payton had dubbed him with.
You can watch the four-minute First Take interview with Shannon Sharpe below, or on ESPN’s official YouTube page.
For what it’s worth, Nix’s reaction was exactly the kind of reaction that future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees has recommended:
And Payton has said he loved Nix’s reaction on the sideline. So there’s no lingering beef between the coach and QB. In fact, that exchange and the resulting teasing might have drawn them even closer. So take Sharpe’s take with a grain of salt.
Shannon Sharpe would take Daniels over the NFC East’s other quarterbacks.
Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe really likes what he sees in Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
This week on ESPN, Sharpe, Stephen A. Smith, and former Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi assessed Daniels’ place among NFC East quarterbacks.
Sharpe declared: “Guys, you all know I hate being a prisoner of the moment. But the way this young man is playing now, and the way Kliff Kingsbury is in his ear and dialing up the plays? You’re absolutely right I am taking him over anybody else in that division.”
“Oh, I get it. It is a college offense, and it’s very simplistic. Well, a lot more teams need to make their offense simplistic if it’s going to cause their quarterback to play like this young man is playing.”
Jayden Daniels leads the rookie QBs in total TDs through four weeks!
“He’s more mature than you would think. He had 55 career starts in college. I think that has a lot to do with it, and he has Kliff Kingsbury. No matter what you think of Kliff as a head coach, Stephen A., Bruschi, you know, there’s no denying his offensive mind and his ability to coach quarterbacks.”
Sharpe then discussed how Kingsbury coached Johnny Manziel, Patrick Mahomes, and Kyler Murray.
“There’s no denying his ability to relate, and to get on their levels, and extract the best out of a quarterback. I absolutely, right now, would take Jayden Daniels over any other quarterback in that division.”
Stephen A. Smith is high on Jayden Daniels and the Commanders.
A recent ESPN “First Take” segment featuring Stephen A. Smith, Tedy Bruschi, and Shannon Sharpe focused on Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels’s early performance in his first four NFL games.
Smith wasn’t shy about praising Daniels over the other NFC East quarterbacks.
“I am rolling with Jayden Daniels. First of all, I’m not rolling with a guy like Dak Prescott, who’s had eight years to win a Super Bowl and can’t even win more than two playoff games in eight years. As far as I’m concerned, he has shown me what he is. He’s elite in the regular season but far from it in the postseason.”
“This brother (Daniels) brings me hope. Let’s understand something, 82.1 % completion percentage. Over their three-game winning streak, this man has scored on 22 of 24 of their drives over the last three games. Ten touchdowns, ten field goals, excluding kneel downs.”
Smith then referred to Dan Quinn saying he blew a 25-point lead in the Super bowl, but that he also got his team to the Super Bowl and concluded “he kinda knows what he is doing.”
Smith admitted then he had been down on Kliff Kingsbury, not thinking he had deserved a shot at an NFL head coaching job. He then said Kingsbury did not deserve to by pass a lot of other NFL coordinators to get that head coaching job with the Cardinals.
“But we all knows as a coordinator, he can call up some plays. We all know as coordinator he’s cultivated relationships with quarterbacks…and that’s going a long way. Now he is doing it with Jayden Daniels, because Daniels has raved about the level of communication they have with one another.”
Smith then recalled how much talk pre-draft was the number of hits Daniels took at LSU and how would he survive in the NFL “That’s not what he is doing. He is being smart, he’s running with the football, making plays with his legs. He’s certainly making plays with his arm.”
“We are looking at Washington being formidable, they could potentially win this division…The way this kid is playing, and the pieces he has around him, I like what I see.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Smith did his version of the NFL power rankings, and the Commanders were ranked No. 5.
While everyone around the NFL and media world is praising Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, and rightfully so, don’t forget about offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
The Commanders are red hot, sitting at 3-1, winners of three straight games and alone atop the NFC East. Washington’s offense has punted once in three weeks and has only turned the ball over once this season. Daniels already looks like an NFL superstar four games into his career.
Kingsbury, who received plenty of criticism for his four-year stint as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, looks rejuvenated as Washington’s offensive coordinator.
Kingsbury has plenty of fans in the NFL and college football. One of those fans is Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders.
“Kliff Kingsbury was somebody that is the engineer behind this ship,” Sanders said on Monday’s episode of “Nightcap” with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson. “He was doing the same thing, and it didn’t work out in Arizona. OK, Kliff Kingsbury is a brilliant play-caller. Brilliant.”
Deion Sanders on Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury’s success:
“Kliff Kingsbury is a brilliant play caller, let’s get that straight. Brilliant!”
If Washington’s offensive success continues, you can bet Kingsbury’s stay with the Commanders will be short. Some criticized head coach Dan Quinn for his choice of Kingsbury, which now seems foolish.
Sharpe also consistently makes headlines for his various takes, some of which can be pretty scorching hot. Ravens observers everywhere have given their various takes on why the team has gotten off to a very unexpected 0-2 start, and Sharpe is no different.
A Twitter user who watched Sharpe’s appearance on Stephen A. Smith’s show took him to task on his analysis. Sharpe seems to believe that this year’s Ravens offensive line is the same as last year’s unit, as he claims Lamar Jackson won the MVP award in 2023 “behind that ol.”
Every1 lost players. Win, it’s Lamar. Lose, it’s OL is awful, play calling, coaching. He won mvp behind that ol and with that coach. We don’t excuses. Thanks 4 watching. https://t.co/6ZcuY9s5BH
This year’s offensive line replaces three starters or 3/5 (i.e., 60%) of last year’s group. The replies to the tweet consistently point this fact out to Sharpe.
In every sense of the word, the Ravens’ offensive line is a very “different” group from last season’s unit. Sharpe’s take was undoubtedly suboptimal and wildly misinformed at best.
