The Denver Broncos won the opening coin toss and decided to defer this time and give the Los Angeles Rams offense the ball to start the game.
Matthew Stafford immediately found a tight end who leaked out for a big gain of 13 yards on first down. A run and another pass would gain four yards each where Kyren Williams would avoid a few flying defenders behind the line to weave his way through for a few yards and a first down.
Williams would add another five yard gain on the next play before Riley Moss
would break up a pass to Tyler Higbee over the middle of the field to bring up a third down. The pass rush showed up big with Nik Bonitto converging for the sack to bring out the punt unit.
Bo Nix and the Broncos offense took over at the 15 for their first drive. On first down, Nix would hand it off to J.K. Dobbins who was immediately taken out for a three yard loss. Rams had good penetration on that opening play. A quick pass outside to RJ Harvey picked up seven yards to bring up a third and medium, but their third and medium/longs continued to be an issue as Nix would be forced to throw it away for the quick three-and-out.
Davante Adams beat Pat Surtain pretty good on the Rams’ opening play on their next drive for a 22-yard gain on a crossing route over the middle. Denver would make a stand to force a fourth and five from there where the Rams decided to go for it. Stafford would find Kyren Williams open on Brandon Jones just past the sticks for the first down.
The ball moved and looked incomplete. It was close, so the challenge failed and they let the call stand.
The crowd was really into it and loud, but Stafford seemed unfazed finding Tyler Higbee open over the middle for a 15 yard gain and a red zone opportunity. An incompletion and a three yard pass setup another third down — this time seven. Stafford scrambled into wide open field for the first down at the five yard line.
That would be all she wrote for the Broncos defense as the Rams would punch it in to take the lead from there.
Rams 7, Broncos 0.
Bo Nix rolled out on the first play of Denver’s next drive and nearly threw an interception. Luckily the Rams defender had butterfingers. Nix bounced back immediately on the next play hitting Courtland Sutton who made a nice spin move to get the first first down for the Broncos on the evening.
A four yard gain by Dobbins on the next play and a screen to Harvey picked up five to setup a third and short one across midfield. Nix would hand off up the middle to Tyler Badie who picked up the first down.
Troy Franklin was egregiously held and was wide open on an incompletion. The pass was incomplete due to the hold and the pass interference moved the ball into field goal range to the Rams 29 yard line.
A very questionable throw across his body to the end zone was nearly intercepted, but Sutton was there to break up the pass. Then an inside handoff to Harvey picked up four to setup a third and six. Nix tried to get the ball to Jaylen Waddle who was blanketed to bring out the field goal unit.
Wil Lutz would bank one off the upright to keep Denver off the board.
The Rams closed out the first quarter driving with Williams ripping off a 30 yard run on the first play and would be right back in field goal range to begin the second quarter.
