In a thrilling game, the Denver Broncos outlasted the Kansas City Chiefs in the most unlikely of ways. Down 11 points to start the fourth quarter, Bo Nix and the Broncos’ offense scored two touchdowns, and the defense came away with a massive sack of Patrick Mahomes on fourth down to seal a 28-24 victory and take sole possession of first place in the AFC West.
My heart is still racing. My blood pressure is skyrocketing. And I still can’t believe what we just witnessed.
But what have we learned? Let’s break down the main takeaways from this week.
Bo Nix did it again
It was frustrating in the second half. Denver’s offense went three-and-out on three straight drives as the Chiefs began to pull away. But as quickly as the weather changed early in the fourth quarter, so did Bo and the offense.
Nix’s fourth quarter performance over the course of his career has been nothing short of magical. The throw he made to Adam Trautman on the first goal in crunch time was absolutely crazy.
This may be the second-best fourth-quarter comeback of Nix’s career, trailing only the 33 points he scored against the New York Giants last year. The stakes in this Broncos-Chiefs game meant so much more, making it one of the best finishes I’ve personally witnessed.
Nix finished the game 20 of 32 for 222 yards and a pair of 4th-and-goal touchdown passes from the 1-yard line.
You may doubt this guy. But never count it out.
Explosive plays killed the Broncos
The end of this game was made even crazier due to some explosive gains following Jonah Coleman’s game-winning touchdown run.
But these explosive gains are not the only ones.
Chiefs rookie running back Emmett Johnson absolutely destroyed the Broncos on Sunday. He had a touchdown and a 73-yard run on a blown coverage, as well as another 38-yard reception in the second quarter, where he slipped a tackle from Justin Strnad.
Johnson was also responsible for the 44-yard kickoff return that put the Chiefs on the final drive of the game.
It wasn’t just Johnson. Known Bronco assassin Travis Kelce also had a 27-yard reception on the final drive.
Denver’s defense did a much better job in the tackling department this week against Kenneth Walker III and company, but they almost lost the game by allowing as many explosives as they did.
Overall, the Broncos’ defensive performance was quite impressive. Kansas City finished with 399 total yards, but more than 100 of those yards were generated by two explosive Johnsons. The Chiefs only ran the ball 90 yards as a team, which was a triumph considering what they did to Denver in Week 1.
Goodbye, JK Dobbins?
Rumors were flying about the Broncos looking to move up at running back before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, and it’s not hard to see the shift in focus in the running back room as it is.
Dobbins lost his starting job to Coleman, and it is glaringly obvious. Dobbins only ran the ball seven times for a measly 13 yards and rarely saw the field in the second half.
Coleman outscored Dobbins by four totes, looked more explosive in doing so, and the rookie’s 51-yard reception to set up his second career rushing touchdown was incredible.
Given the remaining schedule and being in first position in the West, now is the time to take action. Adding an explosive playmaker who can create on his own should be a key focus this week, and there are several options on the table. with Jonathan TaylorTony Pollard and Breece Hall are reportedly on the trading block.
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