The Denver Broncos finally have their signature win of the Sean Payton and Bo Nix era.
After stunning the Eagles on Sunday with an epic fourth quarter rally, everyone believes.
Not just in Denver, but around the NFL. Maybe head coach Sean Payton wasn’t so crazy talking about the Super Bowl this summer after all.
Down 17-3 against the defending champs on the road, things looked bleak. The offense and QB Bo Nix were stuck in the mud. The defense had given up two huge plays. One led to a touchdown after Riley Moss got burned by Devonta Smith and the other was a TD when Alex Singleton couldn’t keep up with Saquon Barkley.
But then, something changed.
It’s almost like the Broncos players knew they had nothing to lose.
Sure, that was the case going into the game, but even more-so staring a 14-point deficit in the face.
Nix settled down and made the throws he needed to make. The running game, powered by J.K. Dobbins, kicked into gear. And the Broncos defense didn’t let the high-powered Eagles score the rest of the afternoon.
After a scary final few seconds, Denver left Philly with an improbable victory.
It’ll feel good for 24-48 hours, but the Broncos need to turn it into something even greater. Carry this momentum into a long winning streak, which the schedule certainly sets up favorably for.
Denver will face the lowly New York Jets in London on Sunday. They can’t stop a nosebleed, and the Broncos should score 30-plus points and improve their record to 4-2.
After that, it’s dates with the NFC East at Empower Field at Mile High. The New York Giants are a mess at quarterback, even if rookie Jaxson Dart can one day play in the league. The Dallas Cowboys are as dysfunctional as ever off the field. Their offense might look alright, but the Denver defense will be up for the task.
There’s a real chance we wake up on Oct. 27 and the Broncos are 6-2. Worst case scenario, they’d be tied atop the AFC West. With how this season has gone for the Chargers and Chiefs (some hiccups already) you can make a strong case they’ll be alone in first place.
Beating the Eagles was obviously massive, but what comes next is going to be even more important.
The fans are fully bought in and you have to think the players are as well. Denver can tango with anyone, and they can beat anyone. Topping Philadelphia was the hard part, now the Broncos need to handle business against the two bad New York teams and a Dallas squad made for reality television.
After a date with the Texans in Houston, plus the bad Las Vegas Raiders at home, this all sets up for a showdown with Kansas City on Nov. 16 in the Mile High City.
People think the Eagles game was the biggest since Super Bowl 50, and it was, but can you imagine the atmosphere that day?
Let’s say the Broncos are 7-3 and the Chiefs are in the same neighborhood. This could finally be the moment that swings that AFC West back to Denver after K.C. has won it a ridiculous nine times in a row.
Everyone’s excited, and rightfully so, but how Payton, Nix and company capitalize on this high will ultimately define the year.
The Broncos gagged games against the Colts and Chargers, but those are firmly in the past. Handle business like it should be handled the rest of October and Denver will be in phenomenal shape.
It’s perhaps a little greedy, only soaking in the Eagles win for a day or two, but that’s where we’re at.
Broncos Country is ready for a division title. They’re ready to host postseason games. And most importantly, they’re ready to go back to the Super Bowl.
How this next month plays out will have a huge impact on whether or not that looks like a realistic possibility when the calendar eventually flips to 2026.
