ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As the Week 14 NFL slate winds down and the Broncos enjoy their well-deserved week off, we’re taking a look back at the top five moments from the first 13 weeks of Denver’s season.
From blowout victories to last-second wins, the start to the Broncos’ season has offered a number of memorable moments. Whether it’s been Bo Nix dealing touchdown passes or the Broncos’ defense getting after opposing quarterbacks, there has been no shortage of highlights.
Before the Broncos try to finish the season strong and aim to earn their first postseason appearance since winning Super Bowl 50, DenverBroncos.com is counting down the best moments so far from an already memorable season.
Editor’s note: The following ranking is the opinion of the author.
5. Nix throws four touchdowns in win over Falcons
After posting four total touchdowns in a Week 8 win over the Panthers, the Broncos’ rookie quarterback was even better in his next home start. Nix and the Broncos’ offense bounced back from a pair of road losses — including a tough last-second defeat to Kansas City — to drop 38 points on the Atlanta Falcons and kick-start a three-game win streak. Nix threw for 307 yards, four touchdowns and a 145.0 passer rating, and he became the first rookie in NFL history to throw for at least 300 yards and four touchdowns while completing at least 80 percent of his passes. After the win, Nix earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors to go with a Rookie of the Week nod. The win pushed the Broncos back over .500 and was critical in keeping Denver in the thick of the playoff race.
4. Denver claims dominant victory in HC Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans
The Broncos’ first prime-time game of the season came in a showdown in the Big Easy, and it also represented a chance for the Broncos to leap back above the .500 mark. Denver’s second NFC South matchup of the season also coincided with Head Coach Sean Payton’s return to the city where he coached for more than a decade, and the Broncos responded for their coach. Denver ran for an impressive 225 yards and recorded a defensive touchdown as the team earned its third consecutive road win. Payton received a game ball in the locker room after the win, and he said “it meant a lot, because there were a lot of moments here.”
3. Broncos earn back-to-back road wins over Bucs, Jets to get back to .500
The Broncos sit at 8-5 at the bye, but the season didn’t start with a flurry of victories. Instead, Denver dropped a pair of one-score decisions before heading out on the road for back-to-back games. Denver started the trip in Tampa, where the Broncos got off to a quick start and knocked off the 2-0 Buccaneers. Following the win, the Broncos packed up and traveled to The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia, where the team prepped for its next East Coast game. The following Sunday, without injured captain Alex Singleton, the Broncos showed grit and toughness to earn a 10-9 win over the 2-1 Jets. In New York, Nix recorded his first career touchdown pass, and the defense got after Aaron Rodgers. As the Jets’ game-winning kick sailed wide, the Broncos evened their record at .500 and sent a message that this could be a different type of season.
2. Broncos snatch victory from Browns in wild prime-time win
The Broncos’ latest win was arguably their most thrilling — and perhaps one of the best games in the NFL all year. In a 41-32 win over the Browns, the Broncos recorded a pair of pick sixes, including a game-sealing defensive touchdown from Ja’Quan McMillian hanging in the balance. Whether it was Nix’s 93-yard strike to Marvin Mims Jr. for a score, Nik Bonitto’s pick six or a number of other big plays, this game did not lack highlight moments. Plus, former Bronco Jerry Jeudy put together an impressive performance on the other side to increase the entertainment value. Of course, the game was infinitely more fun because it ended with a Broncos win — and it will likely be critical to the Broncos’ playoff hopes.
1. Surtain’s pick six keys streak-ending win over Raiders
With Champ Bailey looking on, Pat Surtain II delivered perhaps the play of the season and helped the Broncos earn a long-awaited win. In Week 5, Surtain picked off the Raiders’ Gardner Minshew and posted a 100-yard pick six to even Denver’s matchup with Las Vegas. From there, the Broncos would run away with the game and earn their first win over the Raiders since the 2019 season. The streak-snapping win marked Denver’s third consecutive victory after an 0-2 start, and it was all keyed by Surtain’s big play. The monumental takeaway showed, in part, why the Broncos signed Surtain to a long-term deal ahead of the start of the regular season. Plus, Denver earned the win while wearing its 1977-inspired throwback jerseys for the first time. On that October afternoon as Riley Odoms and Steve Foley were inducted into the Ring of Fame, the Broncos looked good and played good.