The Broncos left Arizona with a 30-16 win, a 5-2 record, and a whole lot to feel better about heading into their Week 8 showdown with the Chiefs. They also walked out with a clearer picture of what this offense can look like when Bo Nix gets rolling, and Sunday’s spark didn’t come from a 300-yard passing day. It came from his legs.
Nix’s biggest moment arrived at the bottom of the second quarter, when he broke free for a 62-yard rushing touchdown against a Cardinals secondary that had its back turned to the ball in match coverage. He took advantage, showed real burst, and nearly went untouched the rest of the way. It was the longest quarterback rushing touchdown in Broncos history and the longest in the NFL since 2022.
Nix finished with seven carries for 73 yards, and the run seemed to flip something for him. But even before that explosive play, he looked more comfortable attacking downfield.
Denver took some shots vertically, and while not all of them landed - including a Troy Franklin drop on a flea-flicker - the approach itself was encouraging. Sean Payton wasn’t playing it safe, and neither was his quarterback.
Through the air, Nix completed 15 of 29 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. He also came close to 300 total yards from scrimmage, helped by his two longest completions: a 47-yard catch-and-run by Marvin Mims Jr. and a 52-yard RJ Harvey touchdown on a well-timed screen that punished Arizona’s blitz-heavy approach.
There was a familiar feel to it too. Nix’s get-right game last season came in Week 7, though that one didn’t really open up until the fourth quarter.
This time, the reset happened earlier. For a quarterback who has dealt with some between-the-ears struggles this year, it was the kind of outing that should ease some tension around the building.
The running game gave Denver another reason to breathe a little easier. Jonah Coleman returned to the field for the first time since Week 2 and looked like a player ready to matter right away. He was active in every phase - catching passes, helping in protection, and showing enough burst and vision as a runner to stick out even in a win that featured several offensive highlights.
Coleman ended with nine carries for 54 yards and two catches for 15 yards, and he was especially valuable late as the Broncos tried to drain clock with a multi-score lead. He was also the engine on a drive that should have ended with his touchdown, though J.K.
Dobbins finished it off with a score of his own. Fantasy managers might call that getting vultured.
The Broncos, though, probably just saw a backfield that suddenly looks a lot deeper.
Dobbins carried six times for 23 yards and a touchdown, while RJ Harvey had three carries for six yards. Even so, Coleman’s return changes the feel of the room.
With the trade deadline approaching and Denver loosely tied to Jonathan Taylor in rumor chatter, the rookie’s performance could make George Paton less inclined to go shopping. The Broncos still have two games before the deadline to decide anything, but Sunday made it look like they already have something worth building on.
On the other side of the ball, Denver had to keep piecing things together without Patrick Surtain II, who was downgraded to out before kickoff. Riley Moss, Jahdae Barron, and Kris Abrams-Draine handled the load again while the officiating crew kept the flags coming. That’s a story for another day.
The bigger concern came late, when Jaylen Waddle came up hurt after a trick play. With Denver protecting a two-score lead, Payton dialed up an end-around to Waddle instead of just handing it to Coleman, who had been moving the chains on that drive. Nix tossed it, Waddle bobbled it, and while he fell on the ball to save the possession, Josh Sweat ended up on top of him and the ball seemed to drive into his chest.
Waddle was injured on the play and, after a brief stop in the blue tent, went to the locker room. It was listed as a chest injury, the same issue he has been dealing with over the past two weeks, and it may have been aggravated there. He finished with four catches for 48 yards, including a 27-yard grab down the right seam that stood out as one of Denver’s better passing plays.
Then came another scare. All-Pro defensive end Zach Allen exited late with a hamstring injury, though he was able to walk off under his own power.
So Denver gets the win, the confidence boost, and the upcoming rematch with Kansas City. But it also gets a couple of injury situations to monitor closely. With the Chiefs coming to Mile High next, the Broncos will be hoping Waddle and Allen are dealing with nothing major.
In Other News...
Broncos Fans May Have A New Concern About Alex Singleton
Alex Singletons name is back in the league office conversation after the Broncos linebacker was fined for a hit on Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold in the Oct. 15 win over Seattle. The play drew no penalty in the moment, but the NFL later ruled it unnecessary roughness and levied a $23,882 fine, adding another layer to an already active season for one of Denvers most physical defenders.
It is the third time Singleton has been fined this year, even though one of the earlier penalties was eventually rescinded on appeal. For the Broncos, the concern is less about one isolated hit and more about a pattern that can keep putting a key defensive leader under league scrutiny, especially as Denver continues to lean on his presence in the middle of the defense. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Suddenly Have A Blockbuster RB Question To Answer
A running back market that was expected to stay quiet suddenly has some real heat, and Jonathan Taylor is right at the center of it. ESPNs Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter reported that the Packers, Seahawks and Broncos are among the teams weighing a possible trade for the Colts star, a development that lands at an especially messy moment in Indianapolis after the team fired GM Chris Ballard and could start looking at veteran deals.
Taylor only signed an extension this year and has already appeared in six games this season, so any move would be a major shift for a player still supposed to be part of the Colts long-term core. Even so, the situation is not cut and dried, because Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon reportedly still views Taylor as a key piece of the franchise, leaving interested teams like Denver to monitor whether the idea turns into something much bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Running Back Picture Just Got More Concerning Than Expected
The Broncos backfield and special teams depth took another hit with a series of roster moves that also touched the defense and secondary. Denver placed running back Tyler Badie and linebacker Jonah Elliss on injured reserve, while also activating linebacker Jonathon Cooper back onto the active roster and promoting safety Taylor Rapp and cornerback Sean Fresch Jr. from the practice squad.
Badies move matters most for a running back group that had already been trying to find its footing, and the timing only adds to the uncertainty around how the Broncos will sort out touches and depth over the next stretch. Coopers return gives the defense a familiar piece back after his extended absence, but the roster churn suggests Denver is still managing more than one spot at once as it heads into the next phase of the season. [Read more 🡒]