DENVER – There was a whole lot of cat-and-mouse that came with the big Denver Broncos comeback victory on Sunday night.
Sure, Bo Nix raised his game again as the measuring stick against the Los Angeles Rams unfolded. Sean Payton got aggressive by going for two – twice – as his team picked up steam in the second half. And Vance Joseph’s Denver defense found a rhythm, too.
Which brings us around to Talanoa Hufanga.
The Broncos don’t leave Empower Field with a 30-26 victory without a series of crucial plays in crunch time from the sixth-year safety.
Just when it seemed that Denver’s comeback rally from a 16-0 halftime deficit would fizzle in the fourth quarter, Hufanga intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and raced 66 yards to give the Broncos their
first lead – running right into the NFL history book.
It was Stafford’s 33rd career pick-six, breaking the tie with Brett Favre for the dubious distinction of most career interceptions returned for a touchdown. And as fate would have it, it was Stafford who nearly prevented the touchdown until Hufanga cut back and weaved on a path to the end zone.
"Nobody gives Stafford enough credit for how fast he is,” Hufanga said afterward. “That dude. I’m not bragging, I’ve been in the same scenario against him in 2022.
“For some reason, as he gets older he gets faster. I caught the ball and thought, ‘I don’t think I can outrun him.’ And that’s why I cut back. Testament to him.”
Yet the big return was hardly the final blow in a game where the lead changed three times in the final five minutes.
The game wasn’t decided until the clock expired and Hufanga intercepted Stafford at the goal line. The Rams had a make-or-break moment with the ball on Denver’s 19-yard line with two seconds on the clock.
Hufanga drifted in the middle of the field and as he explained it, decided in the moment to break from his assignment to, well, save the day. His instincts told him to keep an eye on Rams' receiver Davante Adams, who racked up 137 yards on seven receptions.
“They came out in a three-by-one look,” Hufanga recalled. “When they came out of the break, it was an empty look with Davante in the slot to the weakside, so your antennas go up. Best player on the field, they’re trying to get him the ball, so I kind of left my coverage, just kind of went over there and made a play. I read Stafford the whole way, trying to help my other safety.”
And he thought to himself, “Just catch it. At least not let them catch it.”
Strikingly, the two picks represented Hufanga’s first two interceptions in a Denver uniform. After joining the Broncos as a free agent in 2025, he’s certainly had a presence as a hard-hitting, solid tackler in the middle of Joseph’s defense. His stat line from Sunday reflected as much: five tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, two interceptions and three pass break-ups. But Hufanga has also had a frustrating habit during his Broncos tenure of having opportunities for interceptions literally slip through his hands.
It happened early on Sunday night, too, and for a brief instant, he admitted, it threatened to play on his mind.
Then the picks came when his team needed them the most. The cat-and-mouse game included another key play early in the fourth quarter with the Rams facing a third-and-5 from the Denver 20. Joseph dialed up a blitz that sent Hufanga barreling around the corner, outside of Nik Bonitto, on Stafford’s blindside. It forced L.A. to settle for a 48-yard field goal.
“I can’t take credit for that. That was all V.J.,” he said, referring to his defensive coordinator.
Payton hailed Hufanga’s consistency and leadership in summing up the safety’s big night.
“He obviously gets a game ball,” Payton said during his postgame press conference.
Then the coach added a bit of context.
“I went to give him the game ball in the locker room, and I kind of felt that he already had the two prior,” Payton said, alluding to the interceptions. “So it was more symbolic.”
Which is what happens when winning the mind games.
Whipping around Week 3 in the NFL:
What I learned
Bill Parcells, talking gameplans and strategy, always contended that there’s a way to win any given game in the NFL. In seeking their first victory of the season, the L.A. Chargers seemed to have the perfect formula to knock off the unbeaten Buffalo Bills: Turnovers.
So, how in the world did the Chargers force five turnovers – including Josh Allen’s first two picks of the season – and still leave Highmark Stadium as losers?
Well, the Chargers also demonstrated the formula for squandering opportunity. They stung themselves in myriad ways, including untimely penalties, a missed field goal and a turnover of their own – all of which allowed the Bills to stay in the game and ultimately pull away in crunch time. And the Chargers, for all of the heat they put on Allen, had no answer for James Cook, the reigning NFL rushing champ who averaged 6.4 yards per carry in running for 154 yards.
Yes, forcing turnovers is usually the ticket to derail Allen, whose last playoff setback (at Denver) was punctuated by four giveaways. But not for Jim Harbaugh’s squad on Sunday.
Just as strange is this tidbit: The last time the Bills committed five turnovers and still won came in 1997 when they beat a Colts team…quarterbacked by Harbaugh.
Did you notice?
The NFL’s first game in Rio on Sunday was also an anomaly in another sense: It’s been a while since the NFL exported America’s Team for international consumption. Until Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys played just one regular-season game outside the U.S. – 12 years ago when they defeated the Jaguars in London.
What took so long? The Cowboys, who have led the NFL in attendance for 17 consecutive seasons dating to 2009, finally had to give up a home game at AT&T Stadium (capacity 80,000) as mandated by an edict passed a few years ago by NFL owners that requires each team to give up one home game every four years for the league’s fledging international slate. With the unbalanced 17-game schedule, the Cowboys have nine designated home games in 2026, including the tilt against the Ravens at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
“The cycle has now come around to the Cowboys,” Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president and international point man, said during a recent video conference.
Yet that doesn’t explain why the Cowboys – the NFL’s most valuable franchise and, despite the absence of a Super Bowl berth in 30 years, still the biggest national TV draw – couldn’t be the “visiting” team over so many years as they were in 2014.
“The reason the Cowboys have not been an opponent for games is a pretty clear one,” O’Reilly added. “I mean, the Cowboys are a huge draw, a hugely popular team.”
The Cowboys’ NFL-best attendance streak includes road games, and teams could “protect” a number of specific home games from being moved abroad. It made more economic sense for teams to cash in on revenue generated by the Cowboys visiting their own stadiums.
Expect more Cowboys “road” games to go international in coming years to coincide with Roger Goodell’s mission to serve an attractive menu of games abroad.
“Next season, teams will not be able to protect any teams,” O’Reilly said. “You really want to focus on putting the best schedule together. So that’s been a factor, frankly, why the Cowboys haven’t played as an opponent around the world, because of their stature as an opponent in the U.S.”
In other words, the Cowboys had better get used to taking one for the league’s global marketing push.
Two-minute drill
- The Cowboys had a long flight home to rue the final 7 seconds of their setback to the Ravens in a thriller in Rio. Somehow, that was enough time for Zay Flowers to get free for a 27-yard reception – and for Lamar Jackson to wisely call a timeout with one second on the clock. Then Tyler Loop nailed the game-winning, 56-yard field goal. And yes, the replays showed that Jackson made the call in the nick of time. So, no University of Michigan stuff in Brazil. And the turf was solid enough for Loop to get the proper footing for his big kick. Ouch, Cowboys.
- Rumors of Aaron Rodgers’ demise in his reunion with Mike McCarthy were greatly exaggerated. The 42-year-old fired three TD passes to key Pittsburgh’s upset of the Bengals and nearly had his first 300-yard game as a Steeler (19 of 34, 292 yards). This, after McCarthy shuffled his O-line and started rookie Alex Ilheanachor at right tackle for the first time, with the formula allowing Rodgers the best protection he’s had during this young season.
- Travis Kelce is rolling back the clock, too, appearing to be a bit sleeker than last year in beginning his 14th season. The Dolphins played the Chiefs gritty – including a fourth-down stuff at the 12-yard line in the first half – yet were stung for two pivotal plays from Kelce. His 48-yard catch-and-run on KC’s first drive set up a touchdown and was the game’s longest play. Then Patrick Mahomes found his homie for an 11-yard TD off a corner route on third-and-goal in the final three minutes that sealed the win.
- The Browns (2-1) are in first place? Well, sort of, after stinging Carolina in their home opener to move into a three-way tie with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati in the AFC North. Remember, Week 3 was widely speculated as the moment when Shedeur Sanders would take the reins from quarterback Deshaun Watson. But Watson kept the Cleveland boo-birds at bay by following his impressive performance at Tampa in Week 2 with a two TD, no turnover effort that was capped by his throw-on-the-run, 14-yard scoring strike to Harold Fannin in the final two minutes that held up as the game-winner.
- Jahmyr Gibbs is becoming more lethal by the week with his increased workload for the Lions, given the offseason trade of David Montgomery. Gibbs rushed for 99 yards and two TDs, plus caught seven passes for 65 yards – including the 11-yard game-winning snag that lifted Detroit past the Jets. And the dynamic running back is in lockstep with his quarterback, Jared Goff, who has yet to throw a pick this season.
- Go ahead, pinch yourself. The Raiders are 3-0. This has happened just twice in the past 25 years, the only other case coming in 2021. There’s no knocking the Las Vegas plan for bringing No. 1 pick overall Fernando Mendoza along slowly. Not with Kirk Cousins keeping it steady – and getting a huge assist with the return of tight end Brock Bowers (10 catches, 116 yards) – as they got the best of the Saints.
Studs of the Week
Marcus Mariota
For all of the doom and gloom that confronted the Commanders in the wake of another elbow injury for Jayden Daniels, Mariota demonstrated the value of a reliable backup quarterback as he led the way to the huge upset of the defending Super Bowl champs. That Mariota passed for three TDs was impressive enough. But his 9-yard scamper on an end-around run was just as crucial as it sealed the outcome.
James Cook
Buffalo’s bread-and-butter running back lost a fumble on his first carry, and it was some kind of omen. Yet Cook made up for it as he slashed and dashed through the Chargers for 154 rushing yards and proved to be the perfect antidote on a day the Bills won despite their five giveaways.
Michael Penix Jr.
In his first game in more than 10 months since tearing the ACL in his left knee, the Falcons quarterback not only found his rhythm on Thursday night at Lambeau (18-of-25, 256 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 0 sacks, 101.4 passer rating) he injected new life into his team. Isn’t that what quarterbacks are supposed to do? Through two weeks, the Falcons had the NFL’s worst scoring offense and worst passing game, producing just one touchdown and zero trips to the red zone. With Penix back (and Bijan Robinson running wild for 194 yards), they put up 498 yards and four TDs on five drives that advanced to the red zone. Never mind that it came against the punching bag the Packers have become. ATL needed a boost and got it.
What intrigues me about Monday Night Football
Not having star quarterback Caleb Williams as he nurses a hamstring injury is undoubtedly a huge setback for the Bears as they host the Eagles, but even with No. 3 QB Case Keenum there’s hope when considering the formula Ben Johnson used in a Black Friday upset win at Philadelphia last year.
Chicago rushed for 286 yards – and 6 yards a pop – in powering to a 24-15 victory. And the numbers were hardly padded by Williams’ legs. Running backs Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift combined for 255 yards on 40 carries, with two TDs – and it was a pretty even split with the former gaining 130 yards while the latter had 125, with each striking paydirt.
Can they do it again? The Eagles D, ranked 24th against the run in the NFL, has been reminded all week of that last meeting – and that the Bears entered Week 3 with the league’s No. 1 rushing attack. Monangai sat out Thursday’s practice due to a knee injury, but the fact that he was listed as a full participant on Friday might have been just as significant as No. 2 quarterback Tyson Bagent clearing concussion protocol on Saturday. Then there’s Jalen Hurts. Despite the disrespect, still, (hello, Dan Orlovsky), the Eagles quarterback sure looks like he knows how to win.
What I’m looking forward to in Week 4
Patriots at Bills
Has the balance of power in the AFC East shifted back to Buffalo? The matchup on Sunday may go a long way toward answering that question as the Bills (3-0) break in the new Highmark Stadium with a third consecutive home game while Josh Allen begins the season on a tear. And the Patriots (1-2) will come sorely needing a get-right performance after getting drubbed in Jacksonville.
Some quick history: Tom Brady used to own the Bills (before he bought a piece of the Raiders), setting the NFL record for most wins by a quarterback against a single opponent (32-3). Then Brady left New England and Allen led Buffalo to five consecutive division titles. Then came last year, when the Patriots snapped the Bills streak of AFC East crowns and served notice that it could happen in Week 5, when they stunned the undefeated Bills and Stefon Diggs extracted (10 catches, 146 yards) a measure of revenge against his former team.
Well, Diggs is no longer a Patriot and with new go-to receiver A.J. Brown out since Week 1 with a high ankle sprain, it’s been a rough go for Drake Maye. Sure, there’s still time. It’s a long season. Yet momentum is a mother. One of these teams will make a major statement about where the AFC East race stands.
Something interesting about…Keon Coleman
So far, so good for the third-year Bills receiver.
Remember what Bills owner Terry Pegula said during the press conference in January when head coach Sean McDermott was fired?
“I’ll address the Keon situation,” Pegula said. “The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon. I’m not saying Brandon (Beane, Bills GM) wouldn’t have drafted him, but (Coleman) wasn’t his next choice.”
With that ringing endorsement, it seemed that under new coach Joe Brady the Bills were poised to move on from a player who arrived as a second-round pick in 2024 but fell out of favor last season when he was deactivated as a healthy scratch for four games after being late for multiple meetings after apparently oversleeping.
Being called out by the Bills owner?
“He answered the question,” Coleman told USA TODAY Sports. “I didn’t look too much into it. I’m still here. I didn’t get traded or anything.”
Asked if he took Pegula’s comments as a message to become more accountable, Coleman said: “I knew that when things were happening last year. Sleep happens. Whatever the case may be, for being late to a couple of meetings last year, that’s unacceptable, so just having to fix that. I did it.”
Coleman, 23, was supported by several teammates amid his issues.
“It always helps, but that don’t fix the problem,” he said. “It’s an internal thing that I’ve got to fix, which I did.”
And look at him now. He continued his solid start to the season with a huge 37-yard catch that set up a touchdown on Sunday and snagged the onside kick that sealed the victory.
“That’s all I can ask for,” he said when we chatted in Week 2. “It’s all good.”
Of course, as a Michigan State alum, I’ve followed Coleman’s journey for a few years now. He was recruited to East Lansing as a two-sport athlete and as a freshman was a crowd favorite when he came off the bench for Tom Izzo’s basketball team.
During his sophomore year, when he became a starting receiver, Coleman and Izzo made a “joint decision” for him to give up basketball to focus solely on football. The next year he transferred to Florida State and played one season for the Seminoles.
Izzo has often said that Coleman, a strong defender, might have developed into a pretty good player for his basketball program but insists he made the right call in pursuing football on a full-time basis. Like me, Coleman always has an eye out for the Spartans – especially when March Madness rolls around.
“I’m still supporting them from a distance,” Coleman said. “Izzo is still my guy.”
Mine, too.
Closing Bell
The NFL can be so hypocritical. But this latest example – fining three players last week for touchdown celebrations during Week 2 in which they pretended to chug beer – pops the top.
Kyle Juszczyk, the 49ers fullback nicknamed “Juice,” was fined $14,926 for a celebration that he has performed for years. Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was docked $13,611 and Colts guard Matt Gonclaves was tapped for $8,847.
The league called the gestures “offensive” and in “poor taste.”
Imagine the directive: Drink responsibly. Celebrate responsibly.
Then again, it would have been no surprise if the commercial breaks following the celebrations promoted Bud Light – the official beer sponsor of the NFL.
If the league can allow for the logos of all 32 teams to be featured on beer cans, for Bud Light to exclusively serve the beer at every stadium and allow for an ad campaign featuring Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, then what in the world is wrong with those end zone stunts?
The NFL shouldn’t have it both ways. If it wants to make a statement in banning “beer-chugging” celebrations (interestingly, Juszczyk says he doesn’t even drink beer) then it should drop taking the marketing cash from sponsors linked to alcoholic beverages. Now that would send a message sensitive to victims of drunk-driving.
Stop laughing at that suggestion, given the prevalence of advertising aimed at a core demographic of NFL attendees and viewers.
Then again, laugh at Bud Light’s response. It announced a fan giveaway for a “Celly Jar” that contains exactly $37,384 – the total amount of the fines for the three players.
Bottoms up, NFL.
Follow Bell on X: @JarrettBell
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: From Denver's hero to Keon Coleman's redemption, what stood out in NFL Week 3
