The Broncos got one of the best wins by any team this season, coming back from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Chiefs 28-24. Denver got massive, heroic efforts from its offense and its defense, especially in the fourth quarter. Sean Payton and the Broncos moved to the top of the AFC West at 6-2 and erased the head-to-head advantage the Chiefs had entering the game.
The Broncos have won four straight games, surviving a brutal opening stretch; they have already faced the Chiefs (twice), the Jaguars, the Rams, the 49ers and the Seahawks. A winning record would have been a success, but 6-2 is a resounding one. It's not just a big result for the division and potential playoff implications, but for what is says about both teams.
Games like these -- postseason-caliber matchups -- teach us a lot about where both clubs are and where they could be headed. These are the five lessons we learned. One didn't need to watch the first three quarters to comprehend how Bo Nix was playing.
The boos on the broadcast told the story. Such is life for a quarterback: goat in the eyes of fans one minute, GOAT the next. Entering the fourth quarter, Nix was 15-for-26 for 153 yards.
Just seven of his 26 attempts had gone for first downs, including just one of eight on third down. It was ugly, and it looked like what Nix had put on display much of the year: very conservative, with little downfield. The boo birds were especially prominent when consecutive drives ended with punts after Nix completed short of the sticks on third down.
And then the fourth quarter came. Nix went 5-for-6 for 84 yards. But Nix took advantage of a pair of coverage busts in crucial moments.
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