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Tag: j.k. dobbins

  • Keeler: Broncos should spend Russell Wilson money on getting Bo Nix receivers without butterfingers

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    Say this for Sean Payton: He sure liked to spread the drops around.

    The Broncos were the only NFL team to place three players among the league’s top 15 in dropped passes during the regular season, per Pro-Football-Reference.com — wide receiver Courtland Sutton (eight), tight end Evan Engram (eight) and running back RJ Harvey (seven).

    No wonder a 15-4 record feels like such a Boverachievement, in retrospect.

    It’s going to be a beast to repeat if Payton and GM George Paton don’t add an experienced, proven wideout for Bo Nix in 2026. Or a big-time tight end. Better yet, both.

    What the heck. Russell Wilson is off the books, right? Paton is rolling into the offseason with diamond encrusted Walmart gift card in his wallet. Go nuts.

    “I think the position that this team, the position that we’re in, (we) have a win-now mentality,” Engram said Monday at Dove Valley as the Broncos cleaned out their lockers following a 10-7 loss to New England in the AFC Championship. “And there are some things that we can work with to even make our roster even better.

    “So, yeah — I have the utmost faith in the guys upstairs, all the decision-makers, the coach. They’ve done a great job since they’ve been here. They’ve built (a) championship team. Being able to add to that already, we’re in a great spot. We’ll be in a good spot for a while.”

    Yeah, but you’ve got to strike now. Nix is on a rookie contract through 2027. That time is going to fly by. Like the Nuggets with Jokic and Murray and the Avs with MacKinnon and Makar, this is the window. Right here. We going for this? Or not?

    “Obviously, we need some key players to come in and do what they need to do by getting points on the scoreboard,” veteran left tackle Garett Bolles noted Monday. “(We’ve) got a phenomenal defense. We have everything we need. We just need a couple more playmakers, and sky’s the limit for this team.”

    Almost everything. Nix can sling it with Sam Darnold all stinking day. What do the Super-Bowl-bound Seahawks have that the Broncos don’t? A bell cow tailback (Kenneth Walker) who has averaged 15 games per season over his career. And a No. 1 wideout (Jaxson Smith-Njigba) who’s putting up seven catches and 86 receiving yards per game this postseason.

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    Sean Keeler

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  • Broncos-Patriots scouting report: How will Sean Payton, Jarrett Stidham handle tricky New England defense?

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    Patriots (16-3) at Broncos (15-3)

    When: 1 p.m. Sunday

    Where: Empower Field at Mile High

    TV: KCNC-4

    Radio: 850 AM, 94.1 FM

    Broncos-Patriots series: There’s some great, not-so-ancient playoff history here, between two franchises that will forever be tied to the names Manning and Brady. The last time Denver and New England faced off in the playoffs was the AFC title game after the 2015 season, as a fading Peyton Manning mustered just enough — 176 yards and two touchdowns — to put the Patriots away 20-18. Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby picked off a 2-point conversion try from Tom Brady to Julian Edelman to seal the win. Denver’s also 27-23 in all-time regular-season matchups against the Patriots.

    In the spotlight: Patriots defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr ‘keeps the dial spinning’

    Two weeks ago, after New England made Pro Bowler Justin Herbert look like a Pop Warner flameout in a 16-3 win over Los Angeles, Chargers players came up to linebacker Robert Spillane and told him they had “no clue” what coverage the Patriots were in all game. At least, by Spillane’s own admission.

    Now, the Chargers fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman a couple of days later, so that might’ve had something to do with it. But this is the evident genius of New England defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr.

    “He keeps the dial spinning,” Spillane said after New England’s wild-card win. “He keeps offenses guessing. All year, he’s been doing that.

    “For him just to be able to build those packages throughout the week, our back-end players to know how to disguise the different defenses, really keeps quarterbacks guessing,” the linebacker continued a few words later.

    Enter Jarrett Stidham, a quarterback with four career NFL starts who has Patriots defenders now guessing as to what exactly he’s capable of.

    “Nothing,” said New England defensive tackle Milton Williams in the Patriots’ locker room this week, when asked what he knew about Stidham. “Nothing. I ain’t gonna lie, nothing. We’re gonna watch the tape on him and figure out what he like to do, but, they didn’t like him over Bo, so.”

    Shrug.

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    Luca Evans

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  • Renck: Broncos need to run Jaleel McLaughlin to stop critics from running their mouths

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    Three weeks. That is all it took for the country to turn on the Broncos again. They are corn to a garden. The worst seed ever.

    Failing to score more than 20 points in three straight games to end the season was all America’s armchair quarterbacks and well-paid analysts needed.

    The offensive impotence is catnip for critics.

    So, it is no wonder that the AFC’s top dog is an underdog. Fine.

    There is a way to win every game, as Sean Payton reminds us weekly, and the path Saturday involves mud flaps, not a cockpit.

    The Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse has hidden its secret long enough.

    Want to beat the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round? Run Jaleel McLaughlin. Trust him. Treat him like a weapon, not a diversion.

    The idea that the outcome of the Broncos’ biggest game in a decade hinges on a running back who has been inactive for nine weeks is ridiculous. You are probably laughing at this premise. Cackling at the idea that Payton will actually lean on the ground attack.

    But Payton has made a career of pushing the right buttons and finding answers. And this one is staring at him from inside the fieldhouse walls, where McLaughlin can often be found after practice getting in extra reps to stay sharp.

    All Payton needs to do is follow the script written by Gary Kubiak, the last Broncos coach to win a playoff game.

    As Denver clumsily reached the end of the 2015 season, creating doubts about reaching the Super Bowl, Kubiak spent part of his day checking video from Peyton Manning’s workouts with receiver Jordan “Sunshine” Taylor inside the fieldhouse as he recovered from a plantar fasciitis injury.

    Kubiak refused to close the door on Manning returning. And Manning was tired of waiting. At one point, he flipped off the cameras, knowing Kubiak would see it. Kubiak finally took the suggestion, turning to Manning in the second half of the season finale, a move that triggered a Super Bowl 50 victory.

    McLaughlin does not possess the gravitas to give his coach the middle finger. And he is not the key to a championship run. But he is the key to winning this game.

    You see, backs have run through the Bills like Taco Bell after a night on Pearl Street. Only the 2006 Indianapolis Colts allowed more than 5 yards per rush and won the Super Bowl, per CBS Sports. The Bills have yielded 5.2 in 18 games. It is their fatal flaw.

    McLaughlin can expose it. His entire football journey has built up to this moment. He never had a backup plan. He slept in a car for a time growing up. He refused to give up on his dream. His resilience helped him make the roster three years ago as an undrafted free agent.

    This is different. He can go from a feel-good story to the headliner.

    Look, this might backfire. But he is the best option to exploit the Bills, even if injured defensive lineman Ed Oliver returns. The trade deadline long ago passed, and Denver declined to deal for Breece Hall.

    Then J.K. Dobbins got hurt, and R.J. Harvey has not filled his cleats. Forget attacking downhill, Harvey has been going downhill. He has averaged 3.36 yards per carry over the past three games on 36 carries, and if you subtract his 38-yard touchdown against the Jaguars, it shrinks to 2.37.

    Compare that to McLaughlin, who has 118 yards on 18 carries during the same stretch. That is 63 percent of his season total, and 6.56 a pop.

    “He outworks just about everybody in the building,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “It’s not a shock to anybody that, when his opportunity came, he did a great job with it.”

    So, lean on McLaughlin and call more designed runs for Bo Nix (102 rushing yards since Dec. 21).

    Who says no? Payton?

    Not so sure. Not this time. He appears to have learned his lesson from abandoning the run last year at Buffalo, from turtling against the Chiefs and Chargers.

    It was encouraging to hear Payton’s tone publicly last Friday when asked if he held stuff back over the final two weeks. He made no excuses. Used zero qualifiers. Made it clear that the Broncos have to execute better and become more explosive.

    If Payton is not stubborn, the Broncos will win because of the run game in general and McLaughlin specifically.

    Don’t believe it?

    The Jaguars are watching this weekend because they simply did not run the ball enough. They were gashing the Bills on the ground, and inexplicably finished with 30 passes and 23 carries. They posted 154 yards rushing, and Liam “Keep Your Head Up” Coen decided to keep putting the ball in the air.

    If Payton is similarly hard-headed with Nix, the Broncos will follow the Jaguars to the emergency exit.

    My insistence on running is rooted in winning.

    The best way to neutralize Josh Allen is to play keep away. If the Broncos produce long drives and impose their will upfront, it will create urgency from the Bills.

    We all know Josh Allen is not going to play like Woody Allen. It is safe to assume the Broncos are going to struggle at times as Allen bullies his way for yards or finds his tight ends and running backs for easy completions. How Denver’s defense performs in the red zone will be critical.

    But the offense has to do its part.

    It won’t be easy. It never is with this group. The Broncos have only reached the red zone five times in the last three games, scoring two touchdowns, and only once in a goal-to-go situation.

    That won’t cut it on Saturday.

    Let McLaughlin provide the body shots. And Harvey or Nix, the haymaker (the Bills have allowed eight touchdown runs of 30-plus yards, most in a season in NFL history).

    McLaughlin was already known for rolling up his sleeves and breaking a sweat before the sun wakes. But he added night duty to stay sharp, to be ready, when he lost his role on game day as the fourth running back in the three-man rotation of Dobbins, Harvey and Tyler Badie.

    “It was a real challenge just because I am so competitive,” McLaughlin said. “But I just had to trust and believe in what coach Payton was telling me.”

    Everyone is running their mouths again. All the Broncos need to do is run the ball with McLaughlin to shut them up.

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    Troy Renck

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  • Will run game undermine Broncos without J.K. Dobbins?

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    Troy Renck: The Broncos offense was a chore to watch on Christmas. Like eating vegetables. While it is fair to suggest Denver is a year ahead of schedule in its return to excellence, the Broncos are here, so their flaws must be examined like cells under under a microscope. They can secure the No. 1 seed with a win over the Chargers on Sunday. But a lingering issue persists: Will Denver’s run game, led by rookie RJ Harvey, become the Broncos’ undoing?

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    Troy Renck, Parker Gabriel

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  • After putting out feelers, could Broncos look for more RB help in J.K. Dobbins’ absence?

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    The Broncos won the first war.

    But the Chiefs won a small battle that could prove important, in the weeks to come.

    A few days after Denver’s landmark 22-19 win over Kansas City, the Broncos quietly maneuvered to try to sign running back Dameon Pierce, a 2022 fourth-round pick by the Houston Texans. After rushing for 939 yards as a rookie, Pierce’s production had slipped for three straight years, and Houston officially cut bait with the 25-year-old on Thursday. Pierce cleared waivers, and the Broncos put a contract in front of him, a source told The Denver Post.

    Pierce signed a practice-squad deal with the Chiefs instead.

    The choice could be meaningless in the grand scheme of things, but the Broncos’ interest in the 215-pound Pierce makes clear, at the very least, that Denver isn’t completely settled in life on the ground without J.K. Dobbins.

    “Thought it was good,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said of the team’s run-game, after the Kansas City win. “Good enough.”

    Good enough might not be good enough during the next six weeks and likely playoff run without Dobbins, the bell-cow back who the Broncos placed on injured reserve Nov. 15 with a foot injury. The Broncos came into that Chiefs matchup ranked ninth in the NFL in rushing at 128.6 yards per game, as Payton often turned to Dobbins in the second half of games when his passing game struggled. They finished with just 21 carries for 59 yards total against Kansas City, and were largely carried by a monster effort from second-year quarterback Bo Nix.

    Teams will likely scheme to take away Nix’s weapons in the passing games come January, though — from Courtland Sutton to Marvin Mims — and dare the Broncos to beat them on the ground without Dobbins. At present, there’s a minimal amount of experience and a minimal amount of demonstrated 2025 production in Denver’s backfield.

    One key piece on the roster is third-year back Jaleel McLaughlin, who immediately leapt from gameday inactive into a key role as the Broncos’ No. 2 RB against the Chiefs. And one didn’t need much context to sense how much a goal-line touchdown against Kansas City meant to McLaughlin, who blew a few kisses to the crowd in Denver and roared after a ferocious backward push sent him over the plane in the third quarter.

    “With Jaleel’s situation, just from the beginning of the season until now – I think he’s handled it very well,” receiver Troy Franklin said Monday. “He stayed ready. And when it came to one of our biggest games of the season so far, he showed up and he did what he needed to do for us.”

    That may be just the start for McLaughlin. Third-string RB Tyler Badie’s role wasn’t going to change, cemented as head coach Sean Payton’s third-down back. Rookie RB RJ Harvey has produced in fits and starts this season. McLaughlin wound up earning six carries against Kansas City and two key goal-line reps in the third quarter, and could be in the line for plenty more in the coming weeks.

    “Jaleel had a handful of good runs,” Payton said Monday. “I think with the flow of a normal game, he’s going to be important for us in this stretch.”

    McLaughlin’s sheer heart, though, won’t carry the Broncos’ backfield for two months. Particularly in short-yardage situations. Denver is now absent a heavier back on the roster. Rookie Harvey is the largest option, at 5-foot-8 and 205 pounds. Badie weighs in at 197, and McLaughlin stands at all of 5-foot-7. Practice-squad stash Deuce Vaughn is 5-foot-6 and 176 pounds.

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    Luca Evans

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  • Keeler: Broncos, Sean Payton want to make Bo Nix’s life easier? Get Marvin Mims Jr. more touches.

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    If you’re going to play with your food, Sean Payton, why not make it filet mignon?

    The Broncos are 6-0 this season when Marvin Mims has carried the ball at least once. They’re 11-3 in the regular season when that’s happened over the last two years. They’re 3-1 since September 2024 when Mims has received multiple carries.

    It’s all hands on deck, and this ship is wading into Super Bowl waters, just like Sunshine Sean said it would.

    J.K. Dobbins, your offensive MVP for Weeks 1-10, is lost for the season. You’re replacing those touches by committee from here on out. A dash of RJ Harvey. A smidgen of Jaleel McLaughlin, now your best downhill, between-the-tackles runner by default.

    But might we humbly suggest replacing a pinch of Tyler Badie with more pinches of Mims out of the backfield?

    Or Mims out of the slot?

    Or Mims out of anywhere?

    You can fake a run game over the last seven games of the regular season. You know when you can’t fake it? Against Buffalo or Baltimore in mid-January. Even at home with 80,000 Broncomaniacs at your back, screaming to Mile High Heaven.

    Parker Gabriel’s 7 thoughts after an AFC West-shaping win over K.C., including Bo Nix ‘begging’ Sean Payton to get plays called faster

    “(When) I get the ball. I want to make the most out of it,” Mims told me this past summer. “That’s something I pride myself in, is being an explosive playmaker.

    “So being a ‘gadget’ guy is a good thing; when someone (ESPN) tells you you’re the NFL’s best at something. It’s something that you kind of raise your ears at … but, yeah, I mean, when I see ‘gadget’ (player) I think, ‘explosive playmaker.’ Whether it’s in the return game, offense, screen game, deep pass, give me the ball. I want to make the most out of it.”

    Want to make the most of what’s left of this offense after the bye? Feature more of Mims in it.

    The ex-Oklahoma star appeared on 15 snaps against the Chiefs — just 24% of the offensive plays. Fullback Adam Prentice (19 snaps) got more run with the first-team offense against Kansas City than Mims, a two-time Pro Bowl return man.

    Yes, some of that was choosing discretion over valor. Mims can’t scare anybody from injured reserve. He’s coming off concussion protocol.

    Although by the time the Broncos take the field at Washington on Nov. 30, he’ll be four weeks removed from the ding he took against Dallas on Oct. 26.

    That said, do you want to win a Super Bowl or not?

    No skill player left at Payton’s disposal is as singularly explosive as Mims. And he reminded us all why against KC with another special-teams masterpiece — 101 punt return yards, a new single-game high, and the most by a Bronco since Trindon Holliday’s 121 in 2013. Mims’ 70-yard runback in the first quarter was another career best, putting the defending AFC champions on their heels at the Chiefs’ 21-yard line.

    He’s averaging 11.0 yards per touch from scrimmage since he entered the league. Badie is averaging 7.0 yards. McLaughlin is averaging 4.6 yards. If you don’t want to trust your eyes, fine. Trust the math.

    Payton knows how to do quirky, how to improvise when injuries wreck his best-laid plans. In New Orleans, he made Taysom Hill the archetype modern “gadget” weapon. The former BYU star became a 6-foot-2 utility piece. From 2019-2023, Hill bounced between tight end, receiver and quarterback, depending on whatever Sean had cooked up. Hill recorded five straight seasons with Payton in which he threw at least six passes, ran the ball at least 27 times, and picked up at least four receptions. Over those years, Hill averaged 456.8 passing yards, 392.6 rushing yards and 150.4 receiving yards per season.

    Broncos stock report: Jahdae Barron emerges as Vance Joseph’s tight-end stopper

    Payton is the NFL’s Baron Frankenstein, the mind of a mad scientist merged with Bill Parcell’s crusty soul. So why does it feel as if the only guy who can truly stop Mims with a head of steam in the open field is his own head coach?

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    Sean Keeler

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  • Broncos-Chiefs scouting report: Banged-up Denver contends with Patrick Mahomes, desperate Kansas City team

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    Chiefs (5-4) at Broncos (8-2)

    When: Sunday, 2:25 p.m.

    Where: Empower Field at Mile High Stadium

    TV/radio: CBS, 850 AM/94.1 FM

    Broncos-Chiefs series: Here we go again. The Broncos endured a long period of futility in this matchup — 16 straight losses from November 2015 to early October 2023 — before finally toppling the Chiefs 24-9 on Oct. 29, 2023. Denver split this series 1-1 last year, drubbing Kansas City 38-0 in the final game of the regular season as the Chiefs rested their starters. The Broncos are 56-73-0 against the Chiefs all-time.

    In the spotlight: Can Nik Bonitto and company take down Patrick Mahomes?

    On Monday night, the Broncos’ 26-year-old edge rusher stood in a parking lot in Federal Heights, depositing box after box of Thanksgiving meals into the trunks of families pulling through a makeshift drive-thru in Thrive Church.

    Bonitto wore a hoodie, sweats and a large black brace on his wrist. He has been wearing the brace since hurting his wrist in the Broncos’ Week 1 opener against the Titans. The splint didn’t much hurt his ability to pick up turkeys. And it certainly hasn’t hurt his ability to gobble up opposing offenses, as Bonitto put together another dominant performance against the Raiders last Thursday with eight pressures and 1.5 sacks.

    But the greatest challenge of Bonitto’s career year — first in the NFL in QB pressures (51), third in sacks (9.5) — will come Sunday, when the Chiefs and one of the NFL’s most elusive quarterbacks come to Empower Field.

    “That’s the guy that everybody looks to when it comes to sacking the quarterback,” Bonitto said Monday. “He’s one of the best in our game, so, for sure — it’s going to be exciting.”

    The Patrick Mahomes of the last three years is not quite the same game-breaker the NFL saw in his mid-20s. He has dropped from the league’s undisputed top quarterback to just arguably the top dog. He lingers tied for 10th in yards per attempt (7.4) and a distant 12th in passer rating (98.2) through 10 weeks. The Chiefs are more vulnerable than at any point since the Mahomes Era began in 2018, sitting at 5-4 and a distant third in the AFC West.

    First-round rookie tackle Josh Simmons has missed the last four weeks while dealing with a family matter. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit has been typically excellent but has sagged on third down and in the red zone. And yet, Kansas City is still as complex to navigate as a laser maze because of the 30-year-old Mahomes, who’s playing a shiftier brand of football than ever.

    Mahomes’ sack rate the past two years has been the highest of his career. Still, the Chiefs rank ninth in the NFL overall in sack rate allowed. And Mahomes has gotten the ball out at an average rate of 2.69 seconds in 2025 — more than 0.2 ticks faster than any season of his NFL career. He is a shapeshifter under center, capable of adjusting his style and timing with each passing season in Kansas City. And this year, with a shaky situation at tackle between Simmons and backup Jaylon Moore, Mahomes is either punishing teams on quick intermediate routes or with his legs.

    Opposing defenses fear Mahomes much more than running back Isiah Pacheco or Kareem Hunt, as the Chiefs have faced one of the highest rates of defensive-back-heavy formations in the NFL when running the ball, according to the league’s Next Gen Stats. Pacheco and Hunt haven’t been able to take much advantage against a light box, both averaging less than 4.5 yards a carry on such attempts. But Mahomes has feasted: 7.8 yards a carry and 266 yards with his legs when defenses go with seven or less near the line of scrimmage.

    His one weakness? Pressure. Mahomes is 28-of-71 passing when under duress, according to Next Gen Stats. Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has done an outstanding job of throwing pressure at Mahomes across the Broncos and Chiefs’ last three meetings, and held him to a total of two touchdowns in that time.

    “It’s more about getting them covered, and making them hold the ball enough until we can get there,” Joseph said Thursday.

    Denver will need another monster effort from Bonitto and company at Empower Field on Sunday in a game that could assert them as the new class of the AFC West.

    “This division’s been run by the Chiefs for so many years now,” Bonitto said Monday. “So, I mean, if we’re going to want to be that team to win the division and reach the goals that we said we want, we’re gonna have to go through them and beat them.”

    Who has the edge?

    When Broncos run: Denver will play without bell-cow J.K. Dobbins for the first time this year, in some truly horrendous timing. Suddenly, rookie RJ Harvey will be thrown to the wolves against Chris Jones, Nick Bolton and company. Harvey has only gotten 10-plus carries once this year, and is averaging 3.3 yards a carry outside of a 50-yard pop in Week 1. Kansas City has a top-12 rushing defense through nine games in 2025. Edge: Chiefs

    When Broncos pass: Bo Nix has been a bottom-tier NFL quarterback this year outside of the fourth quarter. The clutch gene helps. Against the Raiders last week, the script actually flipped. Nix was in rhythm in the second quarter before completely falling out of it in the second half. Denver will need juice from Nix early and late against Kansas City with Dobbins out and an untested Harvey in the run game. This is the kind of matchup where the Broncos start to determine if he’s the guy for a long-term extension after 2026. Edge: Chiefs

    RELATED: Broncos analysis: To unleash Bo Nix and unlock offense, Sean Payton must start at the beginning

    When Chiefs run: The key here is Patrick Mahomes. Lead back Isiah Pacheco’s health is up in the air after a sprained MCL in Week 8, and backfield mate Kareem Hunt has averaged 3.6 yards a carry across his last four NFL seasons. But Mahomes is on pace for the best rushing season of his career, and has put up 123 yards on the ground and two touchdowns in his last two games. The Broncos have handled dual-threat QBs with aplomb this year, but Mahomes is a different kind. Slight edge: Broncos

    When Chiefs pass: The Broncos still don’t have cornerback Pat Surtain II (pec). The Chiefs have Mahomes, even if coordinator Vance Joseph has proven effective at containing him. WR1 Rashee Rice has been back for three weeks, too, adding a much more dangerous element to Kansas City’s attack. Slight edge: Chiefs

    Special teams: Chiefs punter Matt Araiza has pinned the second-highest percentage of boots inside the 20 (54.5%) of any punter in the NFL this season. Broncos rookie Jeremy Crawshaw now sits below league-average in that category, and the punting differential in Raiders-Broncos nearly swung a game for Las Vegas. The Broncos do get a huge lift with the return of All-Pro Marvin Mims Jr., and Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has been iffy this year. Edge: Even

    Coaching: The Andy Reid-Matt Nagy-Steve Spagnuolo trio is as proven as any in the NFL. Joseph is one of the highest-regarded defensive coordinators in the NFL at the moment, but Sean Payton has plenty to prove with his play-calling and offensive execution after the past two weeks. Slight edge: Chiefs

    Tale of the tape

    Broncos Chiefs
    Total offense 334.6 (13th) 370.1 (7th)
    Rush offense 128.6 (9th) 121.2 (12th)
    Pass offense 206.0 (18th) 248.9 (5th)
    Points per game 23.5 (17th) 26.1 (9th)
    Total defense 270.7 (3rd) 291.8 (6th)
    Run defense 91.2 (4th) 104.6 (12th)
    Pass defense 179.5 (6th) 187.2 (7th)
    Points allowed 17.3 (3rd) 17.7 (4th)

    By the numbers

    1,908: Patrick Mahomes’ passing yards this season when he isn’t pressured, the most in the NFL.

    8: Chiefs All-Pro Chris Jones’ quarterback hits through nine games this year, on pace for his fewest total since 2017.

    28: Broncos All-Pro Zach Allen’s quarterback hits through 10 games this year, the most in the NFL.

    8: Difference between Allen’s QB-hit total and second-place Nik Bonitto’s (20), the same difference between Bonitto’s total and 19th-place Leonard Williams.

    4: Bo Nix’s game-winning drives in 2025, the most in the NFL.

    18%: Percentage of snaps Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw has played where he’s recorded a tackle.

    X-factors

    Broncos: LB Justin Strnad. He’s stepped up for two years in the face of injuries, and Strnad will step back into the limelight against Kansas City after starting ILB Alex Singleton revealed Monday he’d had surgery to remove a testicular tumor. Strnad said Monday the Broncos will be playing for Singleton, and this Kansas City matchup will put Strnad’s skills in coverage and pass-rush on full display as Vance Joseph tries to disrupt Patrick Mahomes.

    Chiefs: WR Xavier Worthy. He’s one of the fastest players in the league, but — much like the Broncos’ utilization of speedster Mims — Worthy’s usage comes and goes with each passing week. Andy Reid said this past week that Kansas City isn’t “down on Xavier Worthy,” and the Broncos will need to account for Worthy on every single snap without defensive leaders Pat Surtain II and green-dot captain Singleton.

    Post predictions

    Parker Gabriel, Broncos reporter: Kansas City 23, Denver 21

    The Broncos are 6-2 in one-score games. The Chiefs are 0-4. And yet K.C. is a 4-point road favorite against the team with the NFL’s longest home winning streak. Sean Payton will readily remind anyone listening that you are what your record says you are, but your record does not necessarily forecast what you’re expected to be going forward. The West tightens by one turn.

    Luca Evans, Broncos reporter: Kansas City 24, Denver 20

    This is not the week to be missing J.K. Dobbins, Pat Surtain II and Alex Singleton, who are among the 10 most important players on this Broncos roster. Kansas City is vulnerable. So is Denver, suddenly, with a rash of injuries and absences. Let’s circle back to this matchup in Week 17 on Christmas.

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    Luca Evans

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  • Keeler: Broncos QB Bo Nix needs to run more. Broncos Country needs to doubt him less.

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    HOUSTON — I don’t believe in Santa Claus. But, by golly, I believe in Bo Chapman Nix.

    The Easter Bunny? Fuzzy-wuzzy fraud. The Tooth Fairy? Fake chews. But if a game is within 19 points at the start of the fourth quarter, just watch the Bo-ller Coaster go to work. Just watch him find a way.

    “I think a really good issue to have is when you’re finding these ugly wins, because I don’t think it’ll always be like that,” the Broncos’ tow-headed quarterback said Sunday after rallying Denver to an 18-15 victory at Houston — a game he trailed 15-7 at the start of the fourth quarter.

    “For right now, the ugly wins are how we’re doing it, so that’s just what we’re gonna continue to find ways to do. Now, obviously, we’ve got to improve in many different areas. But the ugly wins, they’re important. They’re important down the stretch. And if you can find them and you can win these one-possession games, it helps you in the future … you gotta learn how to win those.”

    Broncos analysis: Zach Allen, Denver defensive front dominate Houston, help cover loss of star CB Pat Surtain II

    The Broncos are 5-2 in one-score games. They were 1-6 a year ago. Among Broncos quarterbacks, only John Elway and Peyton Manning have accounted for more fourth-quarter/overtime comebacks than Nix has in orange and blue. Seven rescues in 26 NFL starts. Tim Tebow, by the way, managed six.

    Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

    But fool me seven times?

    You either got it. Or you don’t.

    Bo’s got it.

    “Nothing fazes him,” Broncos fullback Adam Prentice told me in the locker room after Denver’s sixth straight victory and second walk-off win in three weeks. “You think about the Giants game, we’re down a bunch (19-0 after three quarters), and (from him) it’s, ‘Hey, next play, let’s score and go to the next one.’ Which helps us in the huddle, and it keeps everybody even keel and just lets you focus on the job.

    “It’s kind of the unspoken word. Like, we know we can do it, and we’re gonna do it. We’re gonna answer the call when we need to.”

    Bo Nix (10) of the Denver Broncos throws deep against the Houston Texans during the second quarter at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

    The stats were uglier than the scoreboard — 17 completions on 36 throws, 170 passing yards, two scores and an interception.

    Context: The Texans rolled in with the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL for a reason. The 49ers managed 175 passing yards here last week. The Titans collected 93. Tampa Bay managed 191.

    In Week 8, Nix scored 44 points against Dallas, the best offense in the NFL. In Week 9, he walked off the NFL’s best defense, a desperate bunch trying to avoid five losses, in its backyard.

    Nix went into the fourth quarter having completed nine passes in 21 attempts for just 97 yards. Over the next 15 minutes, he made good on 9 of 16 attempts for 76 yards and a score, along with three rushes for 36 yards. His 25-yard scramble to daylight set up Wil Lutz’s game-winning kick.

    “Describe Bo today in a word,” I asked Prentice.

    He tilted his head for a second.

    “Competitor,” Prentice replied.

    “Why?” I wondered.

    “Because, regardless of the situation, he’s going to come out and make plays and compete,” the Broncos fullback continued. “Like I was saying with the Giants game, it doesn’t matter what situation we’re in, he’s going to go out there and sling it or run it or hand it to the backs, do whatever he’s got to do. And we’re going to go make a play. It just doesn’t matter. We’re going to go out there and execute.”

    Eventually. Yes, beating Houston backup QB Davis Mills on the road has a different aftertaste than beating C.J. Stroud, who left early with a concussion.

    Yes, Nix needs to run more. Selectively. Wisely. On at least two fourth-quarter throws, No. 10 elected to stay in the pocket, step up and force the ball downfield instead of tucking and running. Both throws were fired long.

    “Listen, don’t talk about that,” Broncos coach Sean Payton countered when I asked about Nix chucking when he should be tucking. “In other words, his eyes are within the progression.

    “You don’t tell that player too much when it comes to something like that, you know what I mean? Like, ‘Do you inhale or exhale when you’re backswinging (in golf)?’ I don’t want anyone asking me that question, all right?

    “But I think there are certainly designed runs you saw. Again, we gotta keep working with his clock, because it gets quick. There’s someone open, and there’s some throws he’s gonna want to correct. But that’s a good problem to have.”

    Head coach Sean Payton locks into the action during the third quarter of the Broncos' 18-15 win over the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
    Head coach Sean Payton locks into the action during the third quarter of the Broncos’ 18-15 win over the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

    Meanwhile, if you’re going to accuse the Broncos of head-hunting because of Payton’s history, put the tin foil hat away. Kris Abrams-Draine’s hit on Stroud was legal, if a tad late. Watch it again: The Broncos cornerback was making a point, at full speed, to strike well below Stroud’s head. The concussion was from the QB’s noggin hitting the turf on a late slide, not from Abrams-Draine attempting to decapitate the guy. Game of inches, kids. Game of inches.

    “Winning’s fun,” Prentice said. “It’s contagious. When you want to keep doing it, it’s contagious. You just want to keep getting after it and keep getting those wins and stacking them. But yeah, it’s a lot of fun.”

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    Sean Keeler

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  • Amid career year, Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins says he hopes to ‘end my career here’ in Denver

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    At the end of another J.K. Dobbins scrum that charmed the masses, employed little filter and featured him smiling roughly 5,643 times, left tackle Garett Bolles wandered over with a request.

    “I’m Garett Bolles, from K-Jazz 101,” Bolles said Thursday, posing as a reporter. “I’m just here to ask you a question about your Spanish. You’ve learned a lot of Spanish over the years, and I just — can you touch base on that, please?”

    Dobbins smiled, a month after he charmed the masses by giving an all-Spanish postgame interview on ESPN Deportes. He bantered with his protector at left tackle. And he asked Bolles to give him one word. A single word of Spanish.

    “¿Qué pasa, hombre, amigo?” Bolles responded, which translates roughly to What’s up, man friend? in English.

    Dobbins doubled over and shrieked with laughter.

    Any time Dobbins is mentioned in a news conference in Denver, Broncos head coach Sean Payton has uttered some version of the following: Denver knew what they were going to get on the field. They didn’t know they were getting, as Payton said Wednesday, “all this other stuff.” The personality, according to Payton, is infectious, beyond the success of a running back who ranks third in the league in rushing yards. And Broncos Country has rapidly become enamored with Dobbins.

    On Thursday, Dobbins took the love up another notch.

    “Far as extension and stuff like that, that doesn’t cross my mind,” Dobbins responded when asked about potentially re-upping with Denver. “But, me just wanting to be here in Denver — yes. I hope to end my career here and be here for the rest of my time in the NFL.”

    Currently, Dobbins is playing on a one-year deal with a base value of $2.7 million. And Denver is quite fond of rookie second-round back RJ Harvey. But Dobbins made quite clear he wants to stay a Bronco.

    “I don’t really think about that,” Dobbins said. “But, yeah, that would be nice. Because I want to be in Denver. I love it.

    “I love the fanbase,” Dobbins continued, gushing. “I think the fanbase and I have a connection. Love my teammates. And I also love, I love Sean Payton. I love the owners.”

    Dobbins has played 10 games just twice in five previous seasons in the NFL, and the Broncos appeared poised to slowly pass the torch from Dobbins to Harvey. Through eight games, though, Dobbins has shown no signs of slowing down. The breakaway burst may not be what it once was, but the vision remains. Dobbins racked up a season-high 111 rushing yards on 15 carries against a porous Cowboys defense last Sunday. He’s also held off Harvey for a true backfield timeshare, although the rookie had three touchdowns on just eight touches Sunday.

    The division of playing time suggests the Broncos still trust Dobbins more as a pass protector. The veteran has 29 pass-blocking snaps to Harvey’s four this season. On Sunday, he lit up Cowboys safety Markquese Bell to give Bo Nix ample time to laser a 32-yard touchdown strike to Troy Franklin.

    “He sticks his face in there,” Nix said of Dobbins. “He’s not a prima donna that is not worried about getting hit, or not wanting to protect, or just wanting the football. He just does whatever the team needs him to do.”

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    Luca Evans

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  • How Broncos felt ‘difference of play-calling’ from Sean Payton in blowout of Cowboys

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    The head man smelled blood.

    Dallas came to Empower Field on Sunday afternoon wielding some of the best weapons in the game, but riddled with holes from weapons they couldn’t stop.

    This would be an old-fashioned mountain shootout between the Broncos and the Cowboys, the latter a franchise ranked dead-last in the NFL in total defense.

    “We wanted,” Sean Payton reflected later Sunday, “to keep them last.”

    Broncos analysis: RJ Harvey, rookie class shine in blowout win over Dallas. ‘Maybe they read someone’s article.’

    On Saturday night, in the kind of film-review meeting that normally glazes eyes, Payton introduced a semi-surprise. Joe Harrington, the Broncos’ director of football video, stitched together tape of 11 plays they’d repped throughout the week that Payton felt could go for touchdowns. And Harrington, at Payton’s behest, overlayed the college fight song of the scoring recipient on each play.

    Payton went around throughout the week asking players the names of those fight songs. Tight end Adam Trautman was accompanied by Dayton’s “We know we’ll make your team feel blue!” Rookie Pat Bryant heard Illinois’ famed “Oskee Wow-Wow.” Second-year Oregon product Troy Franklin got the Ducks’ “Go! Ducks! Go.” Players heard that song about five times, tight end Evan Engram cracked, a dead giveaway Franklin was due for a big game.

    Bryant’s eyes lit up when discussing the meeting. Franklin smiled that all the flair was “pretty funny.” Veteran receiver Trent Sherfield, who has played for six NFL franchises and seven head coaches, put it best.

    “It’s Sean, bro,” the 29-year-old told The Denver Post. “Like, he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.”

    Payton whipped them all out a day later, throwing every grain of magic dust he had at the Cowboys in a 44-24 win that steadied concerns about the Broncos’ offensive inconsistency.

    Renck: With this version of Bo Nix, the extraordinary seems possible for Broncos

    After Bo Nix attacked the sidelines and middle of the field in a four-touchdown performance, and J.K. Dobbins stayed in rhythm in a 15-carry, 111-yard performance, Payton made one thing clear postgame: He didn’t think Dallas’ defense could keep up.

    Thus, the head coach recounted, he started to goad on his defense through four smashmouth quarters: Can you guys keep up with us?

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    Luca Evans

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  • Broncos’ Sean Payton not considering play-calling change, but “there’s a lot” to fix offensively

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    Sean Payton has no intention of handing play-calling duties off, even temporarily.

    The Broncos head coach, though, indicated Monday morning that almost anything else is on the table as he and his staff try to sort through what’s causing widespread offensive problems.

    Denver, of course, roared to life in the fourth quarter Sunday against the New York Giants, scored a franchise-record 33 fourth-quarter points and hung on for a wild-as-you’ll-see 33-32 victory.

    Sunrise, however, brought a new week and a sober Monday morning reality check about what the first 45-plus minutes looked like for Denver’s offense.

    The Broncos didn’t score. They had just 10 first downs and 180 offensive yards at 3.8 per play. Bo Nix entered the fourth quarter 11 of 25 for 105 yards passing.

    Even those numbers didn’t tell the entire story as the five plays to end the third quarter featured four carries for 48 yards from J.K. Dobbins and a 16-yard completion from Nix to Courtland Sutton.

    “It’s been encouraging that we’ve been able to finish some games, and yet we’re going to play in bigger games and we’re going to have to be a lot more efficient in the first half of games,” Payton said.

    The third-year Broncos coach said around 10 a.m. that players hadn’t yet been in for film review, but when that happened, they’d see myriad problems offensively.

    “We really didn’t amount to anything until we got into the end of the game — fourth quarter,” he said. “Mental errors, mistakes, snaps, wrong reads. You name it.”

    He sounded like a coach who is ready to put a lot of the offensive plan on the table with his staff and consider any number of changes to the group’s approach through seven games.

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    Parker Gabriel

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  • Grading The Week: Ex-Broncos RBs Audric Estime, Javonte Williams would love to have J.K. Dobbins’ problems right now

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    Where there’s a Williams, there’s a whoa.

    As in former Broncos running back Javonte Williams, the Dallas Cowboy who somehow managed to have a rougher week than his successor, J.K. Dobbins, did in London.

    For the first time since Week 1, the Javonte Train finally went off the rails. Despite what the fantasy experts on the Grading The Week team saw as a (makes finger quotes in the air) “favorable” matchup at Carolina last Sunday, the ex-Bronco was held to a season-low 29 rushing yards on 13 carries and 5 receiving yards on five grabs.

    Context: Despite a banged-up, messed-up offensive line in front of him across the pond, Dobbins still managed more rushing yards (40) and more total yards (also 40) on far fewer touches (14).

    Life of an ex-Broncos RB — D

    And yet Williams’ statistical stumble was cupcakes and rainbows compared to the week of his former teammate — and backfield mate — Audric Estime.

    Estime, the Broncos’ fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame in the 2024 NFL draft, was waived by Denver this past August after falling behind Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin on the depth chart. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Estime a few days later and stuck him on their practice squad.

    On Tuesday, our man Audric became unstuck. The Eagles released him.

    The ex-Irish runner remained inactive for all six games with the Birds, including the Broncos’ 21-17 win at Philly back on Oct. 5.

    Burning through two franchises over your first 18 months in the league makes for something of an auspicious NFL start for Estime, no question. But there’s one thing on the dude’s side: Time. He just turned 22 this past Sept. 6. If Estime can land on his feet, with head, heart and hands all pointing the same direction, he’s got time to re-write his narrative.

    Wedgewood’s start for Avs — A

    When the kids at the GTW offices can’t trust our eyes, we trust the math. After its first five games a year ago, the Avalanche had given up 28 goals (5.6 GAA) and had lost four times. After five games this fall to open the 2025-26 season, the burgundy and blue had surrendered just nine goals (1.8 GAA) while winning four of those five contests. Avs faithful may not know what a good power play looks like, but they know what it’s like to have a grown-up — Scott Wedgewood — keeping watch between the pipes.

    Meanwhile, our old pal Alexandar Georgiev — the man in net here to start last season — just cleared waivers in Buffalo and was spotted in recent days practicing with the AHL’s Rochester Americans.

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    Sean Keeler

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  • Renck vs. Keeler: Bigger concern for Broncos’ offense, the play-caller or the players?

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    Troy Renck: The exit brought an insult. As Broncos fans left the overground train at White Heart Lane, an NFL usher offered, without prompting, this assessment. “You all need a new chant. Go Broncos! is lazy work.” Hate to think of what he thought of the offense. The Broncos were a mess against the Jets. They collected 246 yards on 57 plays, a total that would have spelled doom if not for a Denver defense delivering of the most dominating performances in franchise history. The Broncos have yet to take the step forward that was expected. So is it because of the play-caller or the players?

    Sean Keeler: It takes a village to build that much ugliness. But I’ll give the edge to Sunshine Sean here. Let me ask you this, my friend. Was it Adam Prentice’s fault that his coach calls a fullback draw on third-and-10 with 1:56 left in the third quarter while trailing by one in a foreign country? Was it Jaleel McLaughlin’s fault that he had a screen dialed up for him on third-and-4 in the third quarter while Denver was nursing a 1-point lead? And should we mention that this was McLaughlin’s first action of the young season? The same five words kept banging in my head Sunday afternoon, and I hope they’re banging in Payton’s: What are we doing here?

    Renck: The Broncos’ lack talent at skill players. In four of the first six games, the opponents have boasted better receivers, tight ends and running backs. Enough with the experiments, coach. This problem traces back to Payton. It’s time for the best players to get the lion’s share of reps. That means more cJ.K. Dobbins and Evan Engram and less everyone else. The Broncos lack consistency offensively because they lack consistency with the personnel. At one point in the second quarter, Payton used Dobbins on first down, R.J. Harvey on second and Jaleel McLaughlin in three downs. Uncle. Time to taper off the line changes that would make Jared Bednar blush. The Broncos need to establish an identity. But, It is hard to know who you are when you don’t know who is in the game.

    Keeler: Payton’s worst enemy? Sean Payton. Sean Payton, Offensive Genius. Sean Payton, Riverboat Gambler. Sean Payton, Super Bowl Champ. The shadow of a mad scientist is always creeping over his shoulder, tapping on it, reminded him to be clever. To experiment. Reminding him of the pressure, the expectation, to prove that he’s the smartest guy in the room. The problem with being the NFL’s Baron Frankenstein is that the creature that rises from the slab is inevitably a patchwork job — but it’s rarely a monster.

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    Troy Renck, Sean Keeler

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  • Broncos-Jets report card: Sean Payton’s offensive slump, sloppy special-teams play nearly down Denver

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    The Broncos narrowly avoided a baffling loss to the Jets in London on Sunday with another fourth-quarter defensive stand, improving to 4-2 through six games after a 13-11 victory. Here’s The Denver Post’s report card from the day.

    OFFENSE — D+

    Sean Payton got Bo Nix rolling in the first quarter Sunday, calling for a bunch of quick throws over the middle. Nix looked every bit the same guy who torched the Eagles in the fourth quarter last week, dicing up the Jets for 112 first-quarter yards and a beautiful end-of-quarter drive. And then, in a baffling combination of play-calling and execution, Payton downshifted Denver’s offense into purgatory for three quarters.

    Nix had just a handful of completions after the first quarter. The Broncos had their worst rushing game of the year, with just 40 yards on 14 carries for the steady J.K. Dobbins. Star receiver Courtland Sutton finished with just one catch for 17 yards on three targets, and Denver had just one first-quarter touchdown to Nate Adkins on a secondary breakdown to show for themselves.

    DEFENSE — A+

    This was a “defensive team” today, as Sean Payton said postgame. And as Denver fumbled its offensive identity away with Troy Franklin’s first-quarter giveaway, the Broncos’ pass-rush scooped an entire organization up again, as Vance Joseph’s attack has so often done. Jets quarterback Justin Fields looked like a fawn in the headlights of a London double-decker bus, and the Broncos finished with a ridiculous nine sacks. That’s tied for the second-most in a single game in franchise history, according to StatMuse.

    Don’t forget about the Broncos’ secondary, either, as Pat Surtain II held another top receiver in purgatory in the Jets’ Garrett Wilson. Denver’s linebackers had one of their best games of the season, too, as the Jets’ running backs had just one catch for minus-1 yard and tight end Mason Taylor had one catch for 2 yards. And Talanoa Hufanga continued to fly around like a calamity let loose from Pandora’s box, adding a key third-down pass-breakup on the Jets’ final offensive drive.

    SPECIAL TEAMS — D

    No way else to put it: Darren Rizzi is off to a bad start in his Broncos tenure. There was the Week 2 leverage incident. There have been consistently meh returns on kickoffs for Marvin Mims Jr. and breakdowns in kick coverage. And Week 6 in London was the worst day yet, as the Jets nearly stole a game thanks to Jets special teams coordinator Chris Banjo — an assistant on Denver’s staff last year — out-executing Rizzi for four quarters. New York had a 72-yard kickoff return, outgained a tentative Marvin Mims by 89 combined yards across punt and kickoff returns, and beat the Broncos on one fourth-and-1 fake punt that Rizzi had sniffed out.

    COACHING — D

    Vance Joseph is single-handedly pulling this one up from an F. Again, the Broncos’ defensive coordinator mixed in a variety of pressures and went with a gutsy all-out blitz on a first-down sack on the Jets’ last drive, matching his game-calling perfectly with the Jets’ utter lack of juice in the passing game.

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    Luca Evans

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  • The Bo Nix Index, Week 5: How tempo, blitz recognition keyed QB’s fourth-quarter breakout

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    Eventually, they stopped talking about points. Bo Nix, and the rest of the Broncos’ offense around him made clear: they needed to go get six.

    They had punted on six straight possessions in Philadelphia. Nix was playing some of his worst football in a topsy-turvy start. He “wasn’t happy,” as he put it postgame.

    And then a shining version of Nix unfurled before the hostile Philly crowd, the best version of the second-year quarterback shooting the Eagles down in the fourth quarter in one of the most important performances of his young career.

    “We handled it how we handled it,” Nix said after the Broncos’ 21-17 win, “and we went out and won the game.”

    Welcome back to The Denver Post’s Bo Nix Index, reviewing every drop-back from Nix’s performance the previous week. For Week 5, let’s focus specifically on the factors that contributed to the quarterback’s star-making final frame: 9-of-10 passing, 127 yards, a touchdown. Plenty of reps both explained Nix’s erratic play early and his steadiness down the stretch. Here are four key themes.

    1. Nix favors tempo. It worked against Eagles

    Last week, head coach Sean Payton noted that Nix “likes tempo” to start a game — a kind of fast-paced offense that incorporates no-huddle and motion to wear defenses down. Within that, too, Payton hinted his staff has adapted to reduce verbiage in play calls so Nix can get to the line quicker.

    “He’ll have input like, ‘Hey, this is a play I really like, can we get that in?’” Lombardi said of Nix. “And nine times out of 10, we do it.”

    Denver went straight to tempo in their first drive against the Eagles. Nix clapped his hands in an early no-huddle third-down look, smoothly one-handing a high snap, pivoting, and firing a quick comebacker to Courtland Sutton for a first down. The Broncos went no-huddle three times across that first drive, and Nix moved them into Philadelphia territory before a sack by Cooper DeJean stalled the drive.

    After veering away from tempo in the third quarter, Nix got rolling in Denver’s early fourth-quarter drive with some faster looks. He hit Sutton again on a quick play-action back-shoulder ball for a first down to push the Broncos into Eagles territory. His eventual game-tying touchdown pass came off tempo, as Nix cycled through his reads while rolling out and found Evan Engram for a score.

    Nix has a 108.8 quarterback rating this season on play-action passes, and a 101.5 QB rating when taking less than 2.5 seconds to throw, according to Next Gen Stats. Generally, he appears to make quicker decisions when Payton speeds up opposing defenses.

    2. Nix scraps strange statue-feet habit

    As has been pointed out in previous Bo Nix Indexes, the QB is better when he actually sets his feet to throw — and more importantly, doesn’t drift. But Nix also has a particular mechanical quirk at the opposite end of the spectrum. At times, on quick-hits, he’ll take a snap and fire with only a tiny tap of his front foot, generating little lower-body momentum.

    Sometimes, it works out fine — like a second-quarter strike to Trent Sherfield, when Nix fired quickly to expose an opening in the middle of the Eagles’ zone. But it can also backfire.

    On a late Broncos third-quarter drive that stalled out, Nix had receiver Marvin Mims Jr. open on a short flare on third-and-2. He turned his body in Mims’ direction toward the right sideline. But instead of shuffling his feet again to point parallel at Mims, Nix planted near-horizontally and fired a sidearm throw. The ball sailed and tipped off an outstretched Mims’ fingertips for an ugly incompletion.

    Nix’s feet went topsy-turvy at times throughout the fourth quarter, as he’s wont to do. But each of his most visible strikes — a 10-yard hit to Troy Franklin, an 18-yard crosser to Engram, a pivotal 34-yard connection with Sutton — came with drive off his back foot. He switched off statue mode, and the Broncos were better for it.

    3. Nix deciphered and felt out pressure much more quickly in fourth quarter

    Broncos third-string running back Tyler Badie got more snaps on Sunday than rookie RJ Harvey, in large part because Denver trusts him more in pass protection (and two-minute situations). Badie absolutely wiped out Eagles inside linebacker Zack Baun on an early third-down ILB blitz.

    Harvey, meanwhile, got smoked by DeJean on a blitz on that same drive, and Nix nearly was dinged for a game-changing sack-fumble.

    That play knocked the Broncos out of field-goal range and an early opportunity to put points on the board. But it wasn’t all on Harvey. Nix had a few puzzling moments where he got himself into trouble against the Eagles by not feeling pressure off the edge.

    Harvey wasn’t even blocking DeJean on Nix’s blind side, and the quarterback had ample room to step up or even escape the pocket on that third down. This played out again in the second quarter, when Azeez Ojulari got an angle on Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles and hit Nix for an incompletion when he didn’t step up.

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    Luca Evans

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  • Renck: In signature win for Sean Payton, Broncos prove they’re afraid of nobody with remarkable comeback vs. Eagles

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    PHILADELPHIA — The quarterback fought frustration. The tight end remained in witness protection. The cornerback got cooked.

    The penalties, each more ridiculous than the last, mounted. The Broncos were on the verge of getting skunked.

    Then something remarkable happened. They finished.

    They met the moment. At last.

    Trailing by 14 points against the defending champion Eagles, who had not lost a home game in 13 months, the Broncos rallied for a 21-17 victory, surviving a heart-in-a-blender Hail Mary pass.

    Broncos Analysis: In dominating trenches vs. Philly, Sean Payton’s team finally has road map to loftier goals

    This game threatened to become a blowout. Instead, it became the blueprint. You saw it. Run the ball. Convert third downs. Use the middle of the field. Turn Nik Bonitto loose (not sure if he showers after games or just licks his paws).

    As the football sat lonely in the corner of the end zone with time expired, safety Talanoa Hufanga taunted Philadelphia fans, raising his arms in the air for dramatic effect. The swagger and confidence were no longer just a locker room thing, but in the light for everyone to see.

    The Broncos are back in every January conversation.

    They are 3-2 and should be favored in their next seven games. In a remarkable final 15 minutes, they transformed the lingering narrative that they were frauds into a story inspiring fear.

    These players, who were the equivalent of a clenched fist after walk-off losses to the Colts and Chargers, punched back.

    Enough was enough.

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    Troy Renck

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  • Broncos locker room defends Bo Nix after Chargers loss: ‘It’s not on him’

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    INGLEWOOD, Calif. — J.K. Dobbins has spent six long years in the NFL, a running back smart enough to make it to 26 in this league because of his vision between the tackles. Because of his balance. Because of his ability to see what’s coming, as an onslaught of bodies turns toward him.

    He saw what was coming in the locker room Sunday, too, as an onslaught of narratives turned toward him.

    After Bo misses a couple of throws today — nope. Dobbins shook his head. Then he nipped a question about his quarterback in the bud before it even began.

    “Nah, he ain’t miss no throws,” Dobbins replied. “He ain’t miss no throws. He played a great game.

    “And we got his back, I got his back,” the running back continued. “He’s a great quarterback. It’s a team game. We lost as a team. It’s not on him. Guys gotta — I gotta make more plays for him.”

    Bo Nix is wired to win, sure. He’s also wired to not lose. His motivation pulls from the self-expressed fear of not being enough for his locker room. That concept, Nix professed in July, is what will keep him from enduring an off year in Year 2.

    After Sunday’s 23-20 loss to the Chargers, though, Nix sits well below last year’s second-half takeoff in yards per attempt (5.6), QB rating (83.4) and completion percentage (64.2%). And Dobbins might disagree — but the Broncos quarterback left a few massive plays on the field Sunday.

    There was Nix’s misfire on a second-quarter third-and-16, when Payton conjured up some magic from the dregs of his play-caller’s cauldron and Nix had a wide-open Marvin Mims Jr. streaking to the end zone … only to bomb it just long.

    There was Nix’s misfire on a third-quarter end-zone throw to Mims, when he had him streaking toward the end zone from 28 yards out … only to get whacked and fire it just past his fingertips.

    And there was Nix’s misfire on a damning fourth-quarter go-ball to Courtland Sutton, when the quarterback had his go-to man streaking free on a third-and-10 … only to chuck it just past his fingertips.

    Through it all, even as Nix has been a mixed bag to start his sophomore year, a locker room well aware of their 25-year-old QB’s psyche has formed a verbal shield around their leader.

    “I always tell Bo, it’s never always on him,” Sutton said in the locker room Sunday. “It’s a full team effort. None of us go out there and play a perfect game.

    “And, I don’t want him to ever feel the pressure of needing to be perfect for us to go out there and be successful. We all have our hand in the pot.”

    Nix finished 14-of-25 passing for 153 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions — a stat-line that’d ordinarily seem fine but belied the underlying truth of several massive missed opportunities. Head coach Sean Payton, though, emphasized there was “no conversation” necessary with Nix after overthrowing a few such opportunities, the same HC that scoffed at any need for a Nix “growth meter” early in 2025.

    “Keep slinging,” Payton said. “The last thing we want is to — I mean, man, those are almost spot-on.”

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    Luca Evans

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  • Broncos-Chargers report card: Bo Nix, Sean Payton’s offense can’t connect late

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    In the second straight Sunday with a gut-wrenching loss, the Broncos fell three games to the back of the pack of the AFC West with a 23-20 loss to the Chargers. Here’s The Post’s report card from the loss.

    OFFENSE — C-

    Where to even begin? The Broncos’ first three drives Sunday went for three straight three-and-outs, a haunted house of penalties, ineffective run-blocking and personnel scattering on and off the field like lab rats. Up until a two-minute drill to end the first half, Denver had exactly 42 yards of offense. And then Sean Payton cast magic.

    Bo Nix’s 52-yard touchdown bomb to Courtland Sutton on a fourth-and-2 opened the floodgates, and J.K. Dobbins got rolling in the second half after finishing with negative yardage in the first. But Denver bungled five — five — chances to extend their lead to two scores in the second half after taking resounding control of the game in the second half. The final one was a killer: Nix overthrowing Sutton streaking down the right sideline on a third-and-10 by a few fingertips. An image that’ll live in Broncos fans’ heads for a long time.

    DEFENSE — B+

    The demise of the Broncos’ pass-rush was greatly exaggerated.

    Denver had three first-quarter sacks and never let up on Justin Herbert all day, even when the Chargers’ offense got going. It takes a significant amount of force to keep the 6-foot-6, 236-pound Herbert on the turf, and yet Dondrea Tillman popped him so hard in the fourth quarter that Herbert lay for a few beats after a third-down completion. The Chargers’ offensive line seemed to be simply waving feathers at the Broncos’ front in the second half, with Nik Bonitto blowing up star Los Angeles tackle Joe Alt all afternoon. But Herbert’s iron-clad frame kept firing, and the Chargers’ quarterback diced up the Broncos’ secondary on a couple of fourth-quarter drives to finish with 300 yards on the day.

    SPECIAL TEAMS — B-

    Darren Rizzi’s follow-up to a Week 2 disaster started with … more disaster. As the defense got off the field on the Chargers’ second drive of the day, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto somehow lined up in the neutral zone in punt coverage, giving the ball back on an offsides penalty. Punter Jeremy Crawshaw’s first boot fluttered outside the 20. Chargers punt returner Demario Davis reversed a second-quarter punt for 33 yards, too.

    But Rizzi’s units pulled together nicely over the course of Sunday — and had a massive third-quarter swing on a strip-fumble by Jonah Elliss. Marvin Mims Jr. continued to feel out lanes in the return game, finishing with 56 yards on two punt returns, and Crawshaw had a banner day with a 47.1 average on seven punts.

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    Luca Evans

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  • Renck: Blaming refs for Broncos’ loss to Colts is just plain dumb. This one’s on Denver

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    INDIANAPOLIS — Time to run mental lapses.

    And extra gassers at the end of practice.

    Here in Naptown, a poster with Colts players adorns the J.W. Marriott, paying tribute to late team owner Jim Irsay. It reads: For the Boss. For the City. For the Shoe.

    For the love of God, this ending was stupid. A series of cognitive disconnects, each more costly than the last, resulted in a 29-28 walk-off loss for the Broncos.

    This wasn’t just a Denver loss; this was the ultimate brain freeze. Like guzzling a 32-ounce Slurpee through a straw in a single drink.

    Unwisely conceived: Darren Rizzi, why ask Dondrea Tillman to try to block a 60-yard field goal from a kicker who has never made a 50-yarder? Poorly executed: If you are going to speed, even if by one mile per hour over, don’t get caught — and stained by failure.

    The Broncos were dealt their first loss of the season in their first road game of the season in a way that, as far as the internet can tell, was a first.

    In four weeks, if your friends ask you how the Broncos’ special season became ordinary, the story starts here. When they ask you at the office Christmas party why they have to win out against Kansas City and the Chargers to make the playoffs, remind them of the Colts.

    The Broncos put themselves in a dangerous position with upcoming cage matches against the Chargers, Bengals and Eagles by squandering a game the Colts were begging for them to win. Or at least coach Shane Steichen was as he performed his best Nathaniel Hackett Clueless in Seattle impersonation.

    When writing the Broncos’ history since Super Bowl 50, what unfolded before our wide eyes demands an entry. Let’s start at the end and work backward.

    Leading 28-26, the Broncos took possession at their 35-yard line with 8:29 remaining. On an afternoon when the offense finally awoke from its summer hibernation, this represented a chance for a statement drive in a benchmark game. Siphon the clock. Kick a short field goal, and let the beleaguered defense leave with its dignity with a clinching sack of Daniel Jones.

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    Troy Renck

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