Tag: broncos 2023

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Even without Bo Nix, the Denver Broncos are radiating plenty of swagger heading into the frigid AFC championship game against the New England Patriots behind backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham.

“No, I don’t think the vibe’s any different,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said after Friday’s workout, part of which was outdoors in 20-degree temperatures and icy wind. “Obviously, it was a tough situation. You don’t want to see a guy that’s your leader and the life of your team go down, especially in such a big moment.

“But Stiddy’s done an unbelievable job this week stepping in and commanding the huddle, commanding the team. He’s ready for it and the rest of the team is, too.”

Stidham exudes a quiet confidence that long ago secured him the nickname “Steady Stiddy” and belies the fact that he’ll throw his first pass in a game in more than two years Sunday.

That tranquility has apparently rebuffed any possible angst over the loss of Nix, who underwent surgery on his broken right ankle this week in Alabama. Nix showed support for his backup, posting on Instagram, “I couldn’t be more confident in Jarrett. And I couldn’t be more excited for what’s next.”

Which, he trusts, is a trip to the Super Bowl.

Coach Sean Payton set the tone for the week shortly after his stunning announcement of Nix’s injury after Denver’s 33-30 overtime win against Buffalo last weekend. Of Stidham, Payton said, “He’s ready. I said this at the beginning of the season: I feel like we have a (backup quarterback) who is capable of starting for a number of teams. I know who feels the same way. Watch out. Just watch.”

Even before this opportunity, Stidham has long been the one setting the tone and the tunes in the Broncos’ locker room, and he’s never been shy about ribbing Denver’s defenders after burning them on the scout team.

“Jarrett’s got a little swag to him,” wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey said. “He’s a little swaggier than you’d probably expect him to be.”

There’s no telling what sort of drop-off, if any, there will be Sunday with Stidham leading the Broncos (15-3) in place of Nix, who engineered winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime of six games this season.

His coaches and teammates haven’t shown a hint of doubt that Stidham can lead them past the Patriots (16-3) at Empower Field at Mile High, where it’s forecast to be 23 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-5 Celsius) and windy at kickoff.

One teammate he won’t have alongside him, however, is running back J.K. Dobbins, who returned to practice this week after having foot surgery in November. He was ruled out Friday along with Nix, who’s recovering from surgery but won’t go on injured reserve until the weekend.

All-Pro defensive lineman Zach Allen said Stidham has always been first to arrive at team headquarters and prepared as if he were the starter: “So, we’re really excited to see what he does. And obviously he goes against the defense in practice all the time.”

And holds his own, too.

“He’s really, really smart,” Allen said. “He’s like a second quarterback coach out there and on top of it he can make every single throw.”

Edge rusher Nik Bonitto said Stidham isn’t shy to trash-talk defenders.

“He’s actually funny because he’ll be in there, you know, he’ll be throwing dots, like throwing no-look passes in practice, and then he’ll let us know about it too, man, talking trash to whoever,” Bonitto said.

“So he has ultimate, you know, confidence in himself, and you got to have that playing that position, and that’s why I’m really excited for him to go out. You know, he’s earned this opportunity to go out and show off his talents, and I can’t wait to see him.”

Payton said he’s not fretting over Stidham as his starter.

“I say this respectfully and I told the team, ‘I’m not worried about Stiddy in this game. I’m worried about everyone else, all right, and how we play,’” Payton said. “And that really is the truth.”

The Broncos were a loose bunch all week as they embraced being the largest home underdog (five points) in conference championship history.

Cornerback Riley Moss was asked if he thought Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and second-year quarterback Drake Maye would target him like many teams do to avoid Pat Surtain II on the other side.

“Yeah, no doubt,” Riley replied. “And you know the entire world knows that, I know that, you guys know that. It’s going to be exciting. I’m excited for it. It’s going to be a good challenge. It’s going to be sweet, and yeah, I look forward to it.”

Over the last two months, Moss has largely avoided the pass-inference calls that dogged him early in the season.

“He responded well, man. He’s battle-tested,” Surtain said. “His confidence level never wavers. People always say he’s getting targeted but I say try him at your own risk because he’s going to eventually come back to bite you. He’s going to make a play.”

NOTES: Rookie WR Pat Bryant, who sustained a concussion against Buffalo, was a full participant in practice Thursday and Friday and is ready to go. “He was asymptomatic the very next day,” Payton said. WR Troy Franklin (hamstring) is questionable.

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DENVER — Broncos Country is bracing for cold weather as Denver gears up for a busy and chilly weekend of playoff celebrations ahead of the AFC Championship Game.

On Friday, Mayor Mike Johnston officially renamed Bannock Street to “Broncos Way” outside the City and County Building, a temporary but symbolic show of support for the team’s historic season.

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“We are delighted to be here today on AFC Championship weekend,” Johnston said. “We tried to make the weather as inhospitable as possible for the Patriots.”

Johnston also proclaimed Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, as “Orange Friday,” encouraging fans across the metro area to wear their Broncos gear and show Mile High pride.

Denver Broncos

Broncos game forecast: Snow chances increasing for bitterly cold AFC title clash

The celebration continues Saturday at Larimer Square, where the Denver Broncos will host a free conference championship fan rally from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Organizers say fans can expect live DJs, giveaways and photo opportunities with Broncos cheerleaders and team mascot Miles.

“We’re expecting enormous crowds,” said Chip Soares, director of retail operations at Huckleberry Coffee, one of the businesses preparing for the influx of fans. “There’s DJs, there’s Miles the mascot coming, and we’re just super excited to be a part of the excitement.”

Fans visiting Denver for the weekend say the energy is worth braving the cold. Christina Nakanaga and Michael Daily traveled from Oregon for the festivities and are hoping to score tickets to Sunday’s game. Daily is native to Denver and did not want to miss this historic game.

Broncos Fans

“We’re going to hang out, watch the game, celebrate down here and just take in the environment,” Daily said.

With Saturday’s high expected to reach just 15 degrees, city leaders and local businesses are reminding fans to dress for the weather. Heat lamps and fire pits will be available throughout Larimer Square, and nearby restaurants and coffee shops are preparing to help fans warm up.

“The heated jacket makes all the difference,” Daily said. “I use it for cold weather games and sporting events all the time.”

Soares said Huckleberry Coffee will be fully staffed throughout the rally and offering multiple hot drinks to help fans stay warm.

“We’re staffed up, rearing them, ready and excited to serve all our Broncos fans,” Soares said. “We’ve got some phenomenal seasonal drinks out right now, including our Orange Crush carrot cake chai in honor of that legendary Broncos defense.”

Denver Broncos

The Broncos fan rally runs Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Larimer Square, with organizers encouraging fans to layer up, arrive early and come ready to celebrate.

DENVER — Saturday is a pivotal day in the Mile High City as the Broncos take on the Bills once again, this time at Empower Field for Denver’s first home playoff game in a decade—a chance for redemption and revenge.

Fans, whether from out of state or Colorado, gathered to support the top-seeded Broncos at Empower Field early Saturday morning.

One such fan, Jonathan Martinez, made the six-and-a-half-hour drive from New Mexico to cheer on the Broncos.

“We’ve been coming here for years,” he exclaimed. “I was born in Denver. I live in New Mexico now, but I come up here with my cousin and my friends. We always set up a tailgate, cook, make extra food, give it to everybody around us, and just have a great time enjoying the Broncos.”

Another devoted attendee, Timothy Lawrence, a season ticket holder who has been to every home game, drove in from Nebraska.

“I parked out here about eight o’clock last night. I’m staying at the hotel right at the top of the hill,” said Lawrence.

Amid the electrifying energy and cheers Saturday morning, a theme was clear among fans: revenge. Last year in Buffalo, the Bills defeated the Broncos 31-7 in the playoffs.

“People say that, can you say revenge if it was a blowout last year? And I think you can, because the Broncos went out there. They didn’t put together a very good game, but now they have the chance here to come back and really show that they’ve grown a lot over the last year,” said Kevin Dandino, another Broncos fan. “Broncos Country has waited so long for not just a really solid chance in the playoffs, but to be playing in the playoffs here in Denver.”

Travis King, decked out in Broncos gear, echoed the day’s rallying cry: “We know Buffalo is good, but I’m looking forward to some revenge today.”

And King’s task for Broncos fans at Empower Field:

“I need at every down, for Broncos Country to be on their feet. Get loud, and let’s make it hard for Josh Allen here, and let’s make it hard on that Bill’s offense. That’s the key to the victory,” said King. “Broncos Country is going to show out and show up, and we’re going to get loud, just like Payton said in the huddle.”

Meanwhile, Denver7 also met some Bills fans early Saturday, who attended last year’s game in Buffalo.

“We’re wearing the same exact things we wore to that game, just to ensure that we’ll get another W. Go Bills! We’re pumped!” said Robyn Kraft.

No matter Saturday’s outcome, however, fans say their loyalty to Broncos Country will remain.

“Win, lose, tie. Doesn’t matter. I’m going to bleed orange and blue,” said Dandino.

Kickoff for the big game is at 2:30 Saturday afternoon at Empower Field.

DENVER — The Denver Broncos will host the No. 6-seed Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional playoff round on Saturday, Jan. 17.

That result was cemented when the No. 7-seed Los Angeles Chargers lost to the No. 2-seed New England Patriots Sunday night. Denver was set to host the lowest remaining seed after the Wild Card round.

Kickoff will be at either 2:30 p.m. or 6 p.m. MT. TV information is yet to be announced.

The Bills ended the Broncos’ season a year ago in the Wild Card round with a 31-7 thumping in Buffalo. Denver mustered just 224 yards of offense in that game following what many thought was an improbable run to the postseason in rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s first season.

This year’s Broncos, of course, finished 14-3 and earned the top seed in the conference. Buffalo finished 12-5, good for 2nd in the AFC East behind New England.

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos secured the AFC’s top playoff seed with a 19-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers’ bevy of backups Sunday, a victory fueled by Ja’Quan McMillian’s 45-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Wil Lutz was 4-for-4 on field goals as the Broncos (14-3) tied their franchise record for most victories in a season and earned their first No. 1 playoff seed since 2015, which they parlayed into a third Super Bowl title.

They’ll get a week off before hosting their first playoff game in a decade, which could be against these same Chargers (11-6) if L.A. beats the Patriots (14-3) at New England in the wild-card round next weekend.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had one of his worst games of the season, throwing for just 38 yards in the first half and 141 overall, but he tied Russell Wilson’s record of 24 wins in his first two NFL seasons.

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With no chance to win the division, the Chargers treated this game much like a bye week as they prepare to hit the road for the playoffs in the wild-card round. Coach Jim Harbaugh sat several of his starters, most notably quarterback Justin Herbert, safety Derwin James and OLB Tuli Tuipulotu.

QB Trey Lance made his sixth career start and first with the Bolts. His fourth pass went off the hands of KeAndre Lambert-Smith and into the arms of McMillian, who raced down the Broncos’ sideline for a 45-yard touchdown and a 10-0 lead.

Lance finished 20 of 44 for 136 yards. Lambert-Smith later left the game with a hamstring injury.

After five fruitless drives, Cameron Dicker’s 30-yard field goal with 3 seconds left in the second quarter pulled the Chargers to 10-3 at halftime.

The Broncos had four sacks, none bigger than Nik Bonitto’s strip-sack at the Los Angeles 20-yard line early in the fourth quarter. That led to Lutz’s third field goal, from 41 yards, and a 16-3 lead with 11:45 left.

The Broncos’ four sacks gave them a franchise-record and NFL-high 68 for the season, four shy of the 1984 Chicago Bears’ NFL-record 72 sacks.

The game was profitable for at least one Chargers player — wide receiver Keenan Allen, whose seven catches for 36 yards allowed him to reach contract incentives worth $1 million in bonuses Sunday.

Winter wonderland

Temperature at kickoff was a 69 degrees, which is the warmest on record in Denver, besting the old mark of 67 degrees in 1956. The average temperature for the Broncos’ nine home games in the regular season was 68.2 degrees, a franchise high. The coldest game was on Nov. 6, when it was 60 degrees on a Thursday night kickoff against the Raiders.

Injuries

Chargers: RB Omarion Hampton (ankle) and LT Jamaree Salyer (hamstring) were inactive. CB Donte Jackson (ankle) left in the first quarter. Lambert-Smith pulled his let hamstring with 6 seconds left in the second quarter and walked gingerly to the sideline. S Kendall Williamson injured an ankle in the third quarter.

Broncos: LT Garett Bolles (ankle) got hurt with 5:55 left in the first half and headed to the locker room. He returned on the ‘ opening drive of the second half. S P.J. Locke (leg) also was injured in the second quarter and didn’t return. Locke has been starting in place of injured S Brandon Jones.

Up next

Chargers: visit the No. 2 seed New England Patriots in the wild-card round.

Broncos: get a much-needed bye before hosting their first playoff game since the 2015 season in the divisional round.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos won their first AFC West title in a decade Saturday when the Houston Texans beat the Los Angeles Chargers 20-16.

That means they’ll host their first playoff game since January 2016. They can wrap up the AFC’s No. 1 seed as early as Sunday, if the Patriots, Jaguars and Bills all lose or tie their Week 17 games.

The Broncos’ division title ended a nine-year run by the Kansas City Chiefs (6-10), whose run of seven consecutive AFC championship game appearances came to an end with an injury-riddled season that included a serious knee injury to Patrick Mahomes.

If the conference’s top seed is still in play after Sunday’s slate, the Broncos can clinch the top seed and the first-round by that comes with it by beating the Chargers (11-5) at home next weekend.

The Broncos (13-3) have lost all three games to the Chargers since Jim Harbaugh took over as their coach last season.

When the Texans won Saturday, the Broncos tweeted “AFC WEST CHAMPS” with a green checkmark next to Goal No. 1 and the message, “And we’re still climbing.”

After the Broncos clinched a playoff spot earlier this month, coach Sean Payton insisted several times that there was nothing to celebrate yet because they hadn’t reached any of their three goals:

1. AFC West title.

2. Highest playoff seed possible.

3. Super Bowl 60.

Asked after their 20-13 win at Kansas City on Christmas night if it would be weird clinching the division from the couch this weekend, Payton retorted, “No. It will be relaxing, it will be nice.”

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was so focused on winning in Week 18 that he swore he wasn’t paying much mind to the Houston-L.A. game Saturday.

“At the end of the day, none of it really matters,” Nix said after Denver’s first win at Arrowhead since 2015. “We have to play the final game, and we have to take care of it. They (the Chargers) are going to be a good football team. Some other team could help us along the way, but at the end of the day, it is going to come down to us versus them. We are excited to have them at home.”

The Broncos are 7-1 at Empower Field at Mile High this year and have won 12 of their last 13 home games.

“It is going to be a really good environment and atmosphere,” Nix said. “It is honestly playoff atmosphere. It is going to be tough. I have not beaten them, but it is going to be a good nine days of preparation. On the tenth day, it will be all you have got for four quarters or however long it takes.

“We are excited about it. It will be good to have rest. It will be a good long weekend for us.”

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos placed center Luke Wattenberg on injured reserve before their game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night, a surprising and significant blow to their offensive line as they take aim at a postseason berth.

Wattenberg had started the first 15 games of the season before showing up on the injury report with a shoulder problem this week. The move to the IR means he will be out at least four weeks, which would take the Broncos though the AFC title game.

Their first order of business is winning the AFC West. They can do it this weekend with a win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and by getting some help from Houston with a victory over the Chargers in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Wattenberg, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Washington, has been solid in the middle for the Broncos all season. And last month, the team rewarded the 28-year-old offensive lineman with a four-year, $48 million contract extension.

Alex Forsyth was starting in his place against Kansas City. He played four games when Wattenberg was injured last season.

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Watch the Broncos vs Chiefs at 6:15 pm on Denver7. We’ll have the Nuggets game on The Spot Denver 3 at 8:30 pm before switching over to Denver7 once Broncos game is over.

The Broncos also promoted tight end Marcedes Lewis and offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton, promoted linebacker Levelle Bailey and wide receiver Michael Bandy, and waived running back Cody Schrader amid a flurry of roster moves Thursday.

The 41-year-old Lewis was signed in late October and has appeared in four games for Denver. He’s providing some depth at tight end while Nate Adkins continues to deal with a lingering knee injury.

Bailey is providing depth with linebacker Dre Greenlaw out with a hamstring injury, and Bandy is doing the same at wide receiver, where the Broncos are missing rookie Pat Bryant in the concussion protocol.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are in the enviable position of spending Christmas night at Arrowhead Stadium, the home of one of their biggest rivals, with an opportunity to close in on an AFC West title and perhaps land the No. 1 seed and first-round playoff bye.

It’s a position the Kansas City Chiefs know well.

Normally, they’re the ones with all those things to play for this time of year.

But things have flipped upside down this season. The Broncos (12-3) are barreling toward Thursday night’s matchup knowing that a win coupled with a loss or tie by the Chargers in their game Saturday against Houston would secure them the division title.

Kansas City (6-9) is just trying to survive with a third-string quarterback and a roster that is littered with injuries.

“You just have to keep winning. Whatever it takes to win the game,” Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said. “It doesn’t really at this point matter what it looks like. All the cool, flashy stuff can have already happened, but now it’s just who has more points.”

The Broncos did in their first meeting with the Chiefs, a 22-19 victory in November. But they did not this past week, when Jacksonville dealt them a humbling 34-20 defeat in Denver that snapped the Broncos’ 11-game winning streak.

“This game specifically — every one of these players understands the significant of where we’re at with two games left in the season,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “I think for both teams on a short week, there are defenses and offenses maybe, plays that neither of us got to use in the first game that still may apply. So that helps.”

The Chiefs will take all the help they can get.

Patrick Mahomes tore two ligaments in his knee two weeks ago. Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew tore a ligament in his knee last week in a lopsided loss to lowly Tennessee, which means journeyman Chris Oladokun will start for the first time in his career.

The Chiefs are missing their two best offensive tackles, their top two cornerbacks and their best wide receiver to a variety of injuries.

That doesn’t mean the reigning AFC champions have quit, though.

“Any time you step into Arrowhead it’s fun. You feel the love, you feel the energy,” defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “We are playing for something greater than yourself. There’s a lot of kids, probably, a lot of first-timers there because of a Christmas game, a lot of people who paid their hard-earned money. You owe it to them to give your all and play your best and show up for the fans.”

Like father, like son

Denver cornerback Patrick Surtain II earned his fourth Pro Bowl honor this season, one more than his father earned during his NFL career from 1998-2008. The Broncos matched the Ravens, 49ers and Seahawks with a league-leading six selections.

“I have bragging rights now,” Surtain said with a laugh. “He can’t say too much now. I think it’s definitely great for the legacy and great for the Surtain lineage. It’s something I dreamed of, but I’ll keep perfecting my craft and keep on holding that name strong.”

Let Chris cook

While Oladokun will make his first NFL start on Thursday night, he did play the majority of last week’s loss in Tennessee. It’s been quite a journey for the former South Dakota State quarterback, who was cut by the Chiefs in training camp last year and spent the next eight weeks flying around the country for practice squad tryouts with various teams.

“It’s hard to play in the NFL. It’s hard to stick on a roster,” Oladokun said. “But it really motivated me. Really made me look in the mirror to see what I needed to get better at. I said, ‘If I get another chance, I won’t let it slip.’”

Arrow-dome Stadium?

Their game against Denver will be the first since the Chiefs announced Monday that they will be leaving their aging home in Missouri for a $3 billion domed facility to be built across the state line in Kansas. They will continue to play at Arrowhead Stadium through the end of their lease in January 2031.

Sutton-ly in trouble

The Chiefs could have their hands full against Pro Bowl wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who had four catches for 59 yards against them in November. Kansas City will be without its top two cornerbacks, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, because of injuries.

“We’ll have to find a way to limit his catches,” defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “It’s a tough ask.”

Final farewell

Travis Kelce could be playing inside Arrowhead Stadium for the final time Thursday night. He has yet to announce his retirement, but the tight end appears to be leaning that way, and a decision is expected shortly after the end of the season.

“He’s been great,” coach Andy Reid said. “He’s everything you want from a player representing an organization.”

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Denver 7+ Colorado News Latest Headlines | December 24, 6am

DENVER (AP) — Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to a resounding 34-20 win that snapped the Denver Broncos’ 11-game winning streak Sunday.

The AFC South-leading Jaguars (11-4) won their sixth straight game and handed the Broncos (12-3) their first loss since Week 3. It was also Denver’s first loss at home since Oct. 13, 2024, snapping the Broncos’ 12-game home winning streak.

The Broncos’ lead over the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West was sliced to a single game. The teams play in Week 18.

After Broncos rookie RJ Harvey pinballed his way for a 38-yard touchdown to tie it at 17 on the opening drive of the second half, it was all Jacksonville.

Lawrence scored on a 1-yard keeper, then hit Parker Washington for 63 yards to set up Travis Etienne Jr.’s 10-yard TD catch. After Bo Nix fumbled his exchange with running back Jaleel McLaughlin, Lawrence drove Jacksonville on its fifth consecutive score, a 26-yard field goal by Cam Little that made it 34-17 early in the fourth quarter.

Parker caught six passes for a career-best 145 yards and a TD.

The Broncos were driving after pulling to 34-20. But on fourth down from Jacksonville’s 41, Nix telegraphed a throw to Pat Bryant that was easily intercepted by Jarrian Jones midway through the fourth quarter. Later, Bryant was carted off after a vicious hit in the final minute.

This was a matchup of the NFL’s two most penalized teams and Denver committed two big penalties on that drive that ended with Lawrence taking it in from the 1. Malcolm Roach was flagged for landing with his weight on Lawrence and rookie Jahdae Barron was whistled for a debatable pass interference in the end zone.

Lawrence is playing the best football of his five-year NFL career, figuring out the nuances in coach Liam Coen’s offense and stoking his connection with deadline trade addition Jakobi Meyers. The Jaguars had outscored their previous five opponents by a cumulative 171-72 but this was Lawrence’s signature win.

He was sacked five times by the league’s best pass rush — the Broncos have 63 sacks on the season — but it didn’t matter as Lawrence threw for 279 yards with three TDs and no interceptions. Jacksonville was 4 for 5 in the red zone against the league’s best red zone defense.

Nix threw for a career-best 353 yards, but he wasn’t his usual sharp self, accounting for the two turnovers and a high pass that led to Bryant’s injury with 31 seconds remaining. Bryant was strapped to a body board and carted off.

In the first half, Lawrence threw touchdown passes of 12 yards to Washington and 3 yards to Brenton Strange, who got away with a push-off from safety P.J. Locke, filling in for the injured Brandon Jones.

On their first scoring drive, Lawrence and the Jaguars actually benefitted from the din that rattled Empower Field when Jacksonville was flagged for a false start. Blitzing safety P.J. Locke didn’t hear the whistle and put a vicious blindside hit on Lawrence. Only that 15-yard penalty was enforced, jumpstarting Jacksonville’s TD drive.

The Broncos trailed 17-10 at the half after Nix threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton and Wil Lutz connected from 54 yards after banging a 44-yard try off the right upright.

Injuries:

Jaguars: RG Patrick Mekari (back) got hurt in the second quarter and didn’t return. … In the fourth quarter, CB Greg Newsome II sustained a shoulder injury but returned.

Broncos: TE Nate Adkins left in the second quarter with a knee injury.

Up next

Jaguars: visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Broncos: visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas night.

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The Denver Broncos enter their Week 12 bye with an elite defense and the No. 1 seed in the AFC in tow – but questions about their offense and keeping the momentum after knocking off the perennial division champion Chiefs.

Denver7 sports anchor Lionel Bienvenu joined the panel on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football to talk about it all Friday morning on The Spot Denver 3.

“Sean Payton says it just about every week when we talk to him: ‘Confidence is demonstrated ability,’ which means you can’t be confident about something if you haven’t done it – but the Broncos have done it every which way,” Bienvenu said. “They won games in blowouts over the Cowboys and the Bengals. They’ve squeaked by the Jets and the Raiders. They’ve had fourth quarter comebacks against the Giants and the Eagles. So they’ve done it.”

Lionel also talked about the unique timing of the Broncos’ Week 12 bye. While it could give key defensive players like Patrick Surtain and Alex Singleton time to get healthy and back on the field, it could slow the momentum for a team that’s won eight straight.

“The momentum is going to be funny, because you go into Washington against a Commanders team you’re supposed to beat, and if you lose that game, all of a sudden all the ‘Yeah, buts’ come into play,” he said. “So this is a very important game coming up out of the bye week here to keep that momentum going towards the end of the season.”

He dished on Super Bowl aspirations, Sean Payton’s impact in his third season and a great run for pro sports teams in Denver that makes the city coming in at No. 12 in a ranking of the top sports cities.

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DENVER — It’s a tough time to be an opposing sports team visiting the Mile High City.

The Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche are playing at an unbelievably high level at home right now, logging a combined 19-0-2 record when playing in Denver.

The Broncos are 6-0 at Empower Field. The Nuggets are 6-0 at Ball Arena. The Avs are 7-0-2 – the NHL puts overtime losses in a different column in the standings – at Ball, having lost to the Dallas Stars (Oct. 11) and Carolina Hurricanes (Oct. 23) in shootouts on their home ice.

That means since the Broncos’ season kicked off in September, the three major sports teams in-season right now have not lost in Denver in regulation.

Another fun one for Broncos fans: Those three teams combined have the same number in the loss column (5) as the Kansas City Chiefs, after the Broncos knocked off the Chiefs on Sunday to send them to 5-5.

Here’s where the records stand as of the publishing of this article:

• Broncos (9-2)
• Nuggets (10-2) 
• Avs (13-1-5)

DENVER — The Denver Broncos beat the rival Kansas City Chiefs 22-19 Sunday at Empower Field, securing their eighth straight win and keeping themselves in the driver’s seat in the AFC West.

Wil Lutz kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired to earn the win. The winning kick had been set up by a 32-yard pass from Bo Nix to Troy Franklin with less than a minute to play.

Five plays earlier, Nix found Sutton for 20 yards on a 3rd-and-15 in their own territory to keep the would-be game-winning drive alive.

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The Broncos defense sacked Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes three times and intercepted a pass to thwart a potential scoring drive in Denver territory on Kansas City’s opening drive of the second half.

A pick-six had been called back over an illegal contact penalty earlier in the drive.

Denver scored on its first drive of the game for the first time in nine weeks, settling for the first of Lutz’s five field goals on the day. The Broncos mustered just 88 yards and a pair of field goals in the first half.

Their lone touchdown of the day was a four-yard score by Jaleel McLaughlin, seeing an expanded role in the absence of J.K. Dobbins after he hit injured reserve earlier this week.

Rookie wideout Patrick Bryant had 5 catches for 82 yards in the contest, returning after being briefly sidelined by a hard tackle early in the fourth quarter.

For Kansas City, the only touchdown of the game came on a 21-yard strike from Mahomes to Travis Kelce – the 84th of his career, the most in Chiefs franchise history.

With the win, Denver sits two games up on the Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) and four games up on the Chiefs (5-5) in a division that Kansas City has won each of the last nine years.

The Broncos and Chiefs will rematch on Christmas Day in a game that airs on Denver7.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — So far this season, Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey has pretty much been making more of an impact with his pass catching than his ball carrying.

That could change Sunday when Harvey figures to play an even bigger role against the Kansas City Chiefs after the Broncos ruled out tailback J.K. Dobbins with a left foot injury.

Also missing for Denver (8-2) will be AP defensive player of the year Pat Surtain II (strained pectoral) and leading tackler Alex Singleton, who is recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous testicular tumor. Outside linebacker Jonah Elliss (hamstring) and tight end Nate Adkins (knee) will be sidelined as well.

Harvey’s ready for his number to be called early and often.

“The game, I feel like, it slowed down a lot for me,” said Harvey, a second-round pick out of Central Florida. “When I first got here, things were moving quick, moving fast. I definitely feel more comfortable.”

Harvey has 50 carries for 214 yards and two scores this season. He also has caught 25 passes for 175 yards and four TDs.

“Definitely excited to showcase my running ability,” Harvey said. “Whatever coach wants me to do, I’m willing to do on the field and help my team the best way possible.”

Harvey’s most productive game this season was against Dallas, when he had two rushing TDs and another on a reception. His high-carry contest was 14 (for 58 yards) in a win over Cincinnati. He plays around 30% of the offensive snaps, while Dobbins hovers just over 50%.

“He’s just a guy that’s growing right before our eyes,” Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said of Harvey. “If his workload increases, we’re going to see his production increase and be real excited about it.”

The Broncos enter the contest leading the AFC West as they try to dethrone the Chiefs (5-4), who’ve won nine straight division crowns. Broncos coach Sean Payton is hoping Empower Field at Mile High is extra loud for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. Maybe even to the point where Mahomes needs to cover the ear holes of his helmet with his hands to hear better.

“It means things are going pretty good,” Payton said of that scenario. “The crowd noise is super-important with pass rush on third down. It doesn’t just have to be third down. When they’re in the huddle, it would surprise you how hard it is.”

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DENVER (AP) — Look past the clunky offense and the persistent special teams gaffes and you’ll see the exact same thing that carried the Denver Broncos to a tickertape parade the last time they started a season 8-2.

A suffocating defense that erases just about all the warts.

It was Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and the “No Fly-Zone” secondary in 2015 that carried Peyton Manning and a doddering offense across the finish line in Super Bowl 50.

This time, it’s Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Zach Allen, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Alex Singleton and, when healthy, Pat Surtain II, that’s leading the way through all those three-and-outs by scuffling second-year QB Bo Nix and the sputtering offense along with the weekly goof-ups in the kicking game.

The Broncos edged the Las Vegas Raiders 10-7 Thursday night for their seventh straight win thanks to another stellar performance by Vance Joseph’s defense. They sacked Geno Smith a half dozen times, pushing their total to 46, more than any team’s had in its first 10 games since at least 1990.

They’re on pace for an NFL-record 78 sacks.

They allowed just one score in 13 possessions by the Raiders (2-7), of which seven straight featured zero first downs. Eight ended in punts, one of which was blocked by J.L. Skinner, which led to Wil Lutz’s game-winning field goal. Dondrea Tillman had an interception and Hufanga sacked Smith on fourth-and-5 from the Denver 38 for a turnover on downs.

“Our defense was fantastic,” coach Sean Payton said.

And their offense was abysmal again.

“Yeah, cool we’re 8-2 … (but) the defense is winning us the games and we’re not helping them, we’re not doing them any justice,’’ running back J.K. Dobbins said. “ I feel bad the way we play on offense and the way they play on defense because they’re doing so great and we’re doing so bad. They’re our brothers, too, and it just (stinks) because they’re just out there so many plays, playing their butts off. We can’t keep doing this to them.’’

The Broncos realize the way they’re playing now won’t cut it against the league’s elite, beginning next week with a showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs (5-4), who have won the AFC West nine years in a row.

“This is probably the best team I’ve been on and we owe it to the fan base, we owe it to ourselves to stop playing how we’re playing,’’ Dobbins said. “We got to do better, we just have to do better. Eventually it’s going to bite us in the butt.’’

Said Nix, “At some point we’ve got to start moving the ball and scoring some points. Between penalties and sluggish football we’re just not playing very good. It starts with me, I’ve got to be better … we’ve got to find some juice.’’

Right tackle Mike McGlinchey suggested the offense can’t keep relying on the defense to bail out the Broncos.

“We’ve got to do our part,’’ he said.

What’s working

Denver is on track to obliterate the franchise-record of 63 sacks they collected last season and eclipse the NFL record for most sacks in a season (72 by the Chicago Bears in 1984).

What needs help

Nix’s offense was stuck in neutral much of the night and was flagged eight times. Like the Raiders, the Broncos had more penalties (11) than first downs (10). The last time both the Broncos and their opponents had fewer first downs than flags was back in 1971.

Stock up

Bonitto had 1 1/2 sacks, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits to go with five tackles. According to NextGen Stats, Bonitto has generated 28 pressures in under 2.5 seconds this season, seven more than the next closest pass rusher entering the rest of the Week 10 slate.

Stock down

Rookie P Jeremy Crawshaw regressed from a solid start to the season with three shanked punts. The first one traveled 30 yards to the Denver 41, setting up the Raiders’ only touchdown. The second traveled 36 yards and bounced out of bounds at the Las Vegas 29. And the third one, which followed AJ Cole’s second coffin corner punt for the Raiders, went 38 yards to the Denver 48. Tack on a penalty and the Raiders started at Denver’s 43.

Injuries

The Broncos haven’t missed star cornerback Surtain (pectoral muscle) nearly as much as they’ve missed WR/KR Marvin Mims Jr. (concussion). They’ve muffed two punts in his two-game absence. RG Quinn Meinerz left Thursday night’s game after getting sick in the second half.

Key stat

The Broncos have outscored their opponents 96-36 in the fourth quarter so far, and over their seven-game winning streak, that differential is 86-20.

Next steps

The Broncos get a mini-bye week before they return to work Monday to begin preparing for a visit from Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who are on their bye week. It’ll take a much better all-round effort to beat KC and build a big lead over the team that’s owned the division since 2016.

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The Denver Broncos have a chance to win a seventh consecutive contest Thursday night in a division tilt against the rival Las Vegas Raiders, and you can watch the game on Denver7.

Denver left Week 9 atop the AFC West and tied for the NFL’s best record at 7-2 – the same 9-game start to a season it had in 2015, when it went on to win Super Bowl 50. Las Vegas failed to convert a game-winning two-point try in overtime Sunday, losing to Jacksonville and falling to 2-6 in the cellar of the AFC West.

Denver7 will air a special hour-long, pregame edition of Denver7 News at 5 p.m. with live coverage from Empower Field at Mile High. The station will air a 30-minute 4 p.m. newscast with ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir shifting up to 4:30 p.m.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Denver7 News will be back on the air right after the game with a postgame newscast featuring game highlights and more news stories that matter to our Colorado communities.

Thursday’s rivalry matchup will feature the league’s third-ranked yardage defense in the Broncos going up against its third-worst yardage offense in the Raiders. On the other side of the ball, Denver’s 13th-ranked offense – with a propensity to get hot when it counts – goes up against Las Vegas’s 19th ranked defense.

HOUSTON (AP) — Bo Nix threw two touchdown passes and Wil Lutz made a 34-yard field goal as time expired and the Denver Broncos rallied to beat the Houston Texans 18-15 Sunday to extend their winning streak to six games.

They improved to 4-0 this season in games where they trailed entering the fourth quarter.

The Broncos (7-2) had punted three times in a row before a 25-yard scramble by Nix got them to their 39 with less than a minute to go. J.K. Dobbins followed with a 9-yard scamper and a 9-yard run by Nix two plays after that set up the game-winning field goal.

Nix couldn’t do much in the first three quarters against Houston’s top-ranked defense, but RJ Harvey’s 27-yard TD reception and Troy Franklin’s 2-point conversion grab tied it at 15-all early in the fourth quarter.

C.J. Stroud sustained a concussion when he was hit at the end of a slide early in the first quarter. Ka’imi Fairbairn tied a career-high with five field goals, but the Texans struggled to move the ball with Davis Mills at quarterback after Stroud’s injury.

They punted six consecutive times after a field goal made it 15-7 on their first possession of the second half.

Mills was 17 of 30 for 137 yards as the Texans fell to 3-5.

Nix 18 of 37 for 173 yards with an interception.

The Broncos were down by six when Courtland Sutton’s 30-yard touchdown grab gave them a 7-6 lead about five minutes before halftime.

Houston regained the lead with a 38-yard field goal with less than two minutes left in the first half.

Michael Bandy fumbled a punt with about 40 seconds left in the second quarter and it was recovered by Jaylin Smith. Houston cashed in on the error with a 40-yard field goal to push the lead to 12-7 at halftime.

Harvey had five catches for 51 yards and his score made him the first rookie to have a touchdown catch in three straight games in franchise history.

Nico Collins had seven catches for 75 yards for Houston after sitting out last week recovering from a concussion

The Texans had a first down on the 1 on their second drive. But Nick Chubb was stopped on first down and British Brooks was stuffed on the next two plays before a false start penalty on fourth down forced Houston to settle for a field goal to make it 3-0.

Stroud was injured on the next possession. He scrambled for 6 yards and was hit on the shoulder near the end of his slide by Kris Abrams-Draine and the back of his head violently bounced off the turf.

Calen Bullock intercepted Nix on Denver’s ensuing possession to give the Texans the ball near midfield. Collins had a 26-yard reception to get that drive going and a 10-yard catch a few plays later gave them a first down at the 2.

But the Texans couldn’t do anything after that and a sack of Mills on third down left them to settle for another field goal to push the lead to 6-0.

Fairbairn missed from 51 on Houston’s first drive.

Injuries

Denver: Star cornerback Pat Surtain II missed the first of what is expected to be several games with a pectoral strain. … DB J.T. Gray left in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. … WR Trent Sherfield injured his knee in the third.

Texans: LB Christian Harris missed the second half with a shin injury. … OL Tytus Howard left in the first half to be evaluated for a concussion. … DE Darrell Taylor injured his ankle in the third quarter.

Making history

Marcedes Lewis made history Sunday, when at age 41 he became the oldest tight end to ever play in an NFL game. When he entered the game on the fourth snap of Denver’s first drive he also became the oldest player to appear in a game in franchise history. Lewis, who was signed Wednesday, is the second-oldest active player in the NFL behind Aaron Rodgers, who will turn 42 in December.

Blocked

Denico Autry blocked a 51-yard field-goal attempt by Lutz on Denver’s first drive. It’s the 13th blocked kick of his career, tying Julius Peppers for the second most in the NFL since 1991.

Up next

Broncos: Denver hosts Las Vegas on Thursday night.

Texans: Houston hosts Jacksonville next Sunday.

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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Pat Surtain II is out and Dre Greenlaw in back.

Denver’s defense saw some shuffling this week as the Broncos (6-2) prepared to put their five-game winning streak on the line Sunday at Houston, where the Texans (3-4) were installed as slight favorites.

Surtain, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is expected to miss multiple games with a strained left pectoral muscle he injured while making a tackle last week in Denver’s 44-24 rout of the Dallas Cowboys.

He’ll be replaced in the starting lineup by second-year pro Kris Abrams-Draine, whom coach Sean Payton said this week has the best hands on the team.

“Not having Pat’s going to be huge for us,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said Thursday. “But I expect no drop-off. The standard doesn’t change.”

It sure helps they’ll be getting Greenlaw back from his one-game suspension for berating referee Brad Allen following Denver’s historic come-from-behind 33-32 win over the New York Giants two weeks ago.

“I just shouldn’t have put my teammates in that position,” Greenlaw said Thursday in his first public comments since his suspension. “That was just an emotional game, first game back.”

That game marked Greenlaw’s Denver debut after he missed the first seven weeks of the season with a quadriceps injury that lingered for six months.

Greenlaw, who missed most of last year after tearing an Achilles tendon in the 2024 Super Bowl between his former team, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Kansas City Chiefs, had six tackles in just 21 snaps against the Giants.

“I thought it went well. We won the game. It felt good for me to go out there after a year and a-half just to play football,” Greenlaw said. “I felt like the game went good, but that’s two weeks ago now so I don’t even know how that game went, man.”

After making a splash in his Denver debut, Greenlaw had to miss yet another game, something he called “very difficult.”

“Of course you want to be out there anytime you’ve got a game, but I mean just whoop the Texans, that’s all I can think of,” Greenlaw said.

Greenlaw said he’s confident he’ll slip right back into his role despite a dearth of practice reps since he got injured in the spring, not long after signing a three-year, $31.5 million free agent contract.

“We’ve got a great defense already. Guys are flying around making plays. And for me, I just want to be a part of that, just want to have fun out there with them and show them what I can do,” he said.

Although he was on a strict pitch count two weeks ago, Greenlaw is angling for much more playing time against the Texans.

The more the Broncos can get out of Greenlaw, the better, especially as they deal with the absence of Surtain, whom Joseph has called the fulcrum of the defense around which he builds his entire scheme.

“Obviously, you’re never as good as you could be without your best player,” Joseph said. “But I’m confident in our group. It’s a hand-picked roster and every year you talk about next man up. So, here’s a chance for a young player to come play and make a name for himself.”

Not that Abrams-Draine will have to bear the burden by himself.

That will fall on the rest of the secondary, including starting cornerback Riley Moss, rookie Jahdae Barron and the front-seven, including Greenlaw.

“We have a good plan to kind of pull Pat’s weight with multiple guys. It won’t just be one guy. It will be all of us, our D-line providing pass rush and our young DBs just playing it right and playing to the system,” Joseph said.

Joseph is thrilled to get Greenlaw back on the field to help share that load after such a tantalizing appetizer against the Giants.

“Mentally, he’s been awesome. He’s been locked in. He’s been studying. Even when he wasn’t practicing, he was taking every walk-through rep. So, mentally he’s fine,” Joseph said. “Physically, obviously, he needs more reps to kind of get his football air. He was a little tired in his first game. But it’s good having him back.”

And Greenlaw said he’s eager to add to an already elite defense that leads the league in sacks (36), third-down percentage (39.9) and red-zone percentage (40.0) and is top-5 in net yards and points allowed per game.

“For me it’s not about me coming in and trying to be more or do more,” Greenlaw said. “It’s just about me going out there, being myself, because that’s why they brought me here.”

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DENVER (AP) — Bo Nix threw for four touchdowns, rookie R.J. Harvey scored three times and the Denver Broncos routed the Dallas Cowboys 44-24 on Sunday for their fifth consecutive victory.

J.K. Dobbins ran for 111 yards on 15 carries and the Broncos (6-2) also got big performances from rookies Pat Bryant and Jahdae Barron as they extended the NFL’s longest home winning streak to nine games.

Bryant scored his first touchdown and Barron picked off Dak Prescott for his first career interception.

Despite two TD runs from former Denver running back Javonte Williams, the Cowboys (3-4-1) lost for the eighth straight time to the Broncos, whom they haven’t beaten since the heyday of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin in 1995.

The Broncos, who lost star cornerback Pat Surtain II to a shoulder injury just before halftime, won the toss and chose to receive, a decision that backfired when Nix threw right at cornerback Trikweze Bridges, whose interception set up Brandon Aubrey’s short field goal.

Excluding a kneel-down at halftime, the Broncos scored on seven of their next eight possessions.

Nix led Denver on four TD drives for a 27-10 halftime lead, and his second TD toss to Troy Franklin made it 37-17. His 5-yarder to Harvey made it 44-17.

Harvey took a pitch from Nix and went 40 yards for Denver’s first touchdown. Then, Nix found Franklin for a 25-yard score that gave Denver a 14-3 lead.

After Williams knifed in from a yard out to pull Dallas to 14-10, Harvey took a direct snap and scored from a yard out. Nix followed that with a 24-yard, over-the-shoulder strike to Bryant for a 27-10 halftime advantage.

It looked as though Aubrey was going to get a shot at a long field goal, maybe even a record-breaker before Prescott was picked off by Barron with 12 seconds left in the first half.

Williams’ second 1-yard TD run pulled Dallas within 27-17 in the third quarter.

Nix was 19 of 29 for 247 yards with the four TDs and one interception. Prescott was 19 of 31 for 188 yards and was intercepted twice.

Including their 33-point fourth quarter last week to stun the Giants, the Broncos have outscored their opponents 77-37 over their last five quarters.

Injuries:

Cowboys: S Alijah Clark left with injured ribs in the second half.

Broncos: Surtain, the reigning defensive player of the year, suffered a lower right leg injury in the first quarter but returned. He injured his left shoulder on a tackle just before halftime and was ruled out in the third quarter. … TE Nate Adkins (knee) left in the fourth quarter.

Up next

Cowboys: Host Arizona on Monday, Nov. 3.

Broncos: At Houston next Sunday.

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DENVER — The Denver Broncos pulled off one of the most improbable comebacks in NFL history Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High.

Denver scored all 33 of its points in the fourth quarter to surmount what was a 13-0 deficit at halftime, 19-0 to start the fourth quarter and 26-8 with just over five minutes to play. Here are some of the wackiest stats from the unbelievable win:

Denver’s 0.2% chance to win

The Broncos had just a 0.7% chance to win the game down 18 with 6:38 left and facing a fourth-down plan, according to NextGen Stats. ESPN Analytics said their chances were even slimmer a play earlier, giving Denver 0.2% odds to win when facing a 3rd-and-12 with 7:12 left.

1,602-game streak snapped

Teams across the league had combined for 1,602 consecutive wins when leading by 18 or more points in the final six minutes of regulation, according to NFL analyst Ari Meirov. Denver snapped the streak Sunday.

Zero to hero

The Broncos’ 33 points were the most scored in the fourth quarter by any team that had been shutout for the first 45 minutes, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Homage to DT

The late Broncos great and Super Bowl champion Demaryius Thomas was inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame Sunday, and was honored with tributes before the game and at halftime.

Thomas was 33 years old when he died of medical complications in 2021.

The Broncos, of course, needed 33 points in the fourth quarter to overcome the Giants.

Bo-nafide superstar

According to ESPN and the Elias Sports Bureau, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix became the first player ever to log two or more passing touchdowns and two or more rushing scores in a single quarter.

Nix put the Broncos on the board with a 2-yard passing touchdown to Troy Franklin in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. He drew Denver to within 10 with a 7-yard rushing touchdown with 5:13 left, then found running back RJ Harvey for a 2-yard passing touchdown 82 game seconds later. Nix’s 18-yard touchdown run gave the Broncos the lead with 1:51 to play.