The Broncos held an edge for nearly the entire game, but they led by just one possession entering the second quarter. That changed when the Broncos pieced together an 8-play, 86-yard drive in the early stages of the second frame. Keyed by a 20-yard Javonte Williams run and a 30-yard pass from Bo Nix to Troy Franklin, Denver moved the ball into the red zone — and Williams capped the drive off with a touchdown. The Saints were forced to play catch-up the rest of the game, and the Broncos’ defense was able to get after Rattler. Denver pushed its lead even higher in the second half, but the early advantage translated to a win.
The Broncos posted their most prolific rushing performance in more than a decade, as Denver rushed for 225 yards and set the tone for the game. Williams posted the first game of his career with multiple rushing touchdowns, and he paced the Broncos with 88 yards and 6.3 yards per carry. Nix also carried the ball 10 times for 75 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per carry. New Orleans, meanwhile, tallied fewer than 100 yards on the ground.
Though the Broncos weren’t perfect offensively, they used their ground game to earn the advantage in Thursday’s win. In part due to their run game, the Broncos held a time-of-possession edge and built a lead that was too drastic for the Saints to overcome.