It was a throwback game to remember as the Broncos punished the Cowboys 44 to 22 in a beatdown that was unexpected in Vegas but not unprecedented in Denver.
And it was the young guys making the highlight reel.
“I think it’s vital,” head coach Sean Payton said Monday, noting that teams don’t have two or three years to wait for their progress. “It was a game where we saw a lot of young players step up and make plays. I think we have to continue to play them.”
Payton added that games like yesterday give
young guys a lot of needed confidence.
“You can kind of see it propel them very quickly,” he added. “But I do think it’s important that the contributions are coming not just from the veteran players but also the young players that we feel like are ready to play.”
That kind of confidence was notable yesterday, particularly from the quarterback.
Despite throwing an interception on just the third play of the game, Nix bounced back with well-orchestrated scoring drives that signaled the fast start Payton was hoping to have.
“[Nix’s] feet got away from him a little bit,” the coach said of the turnover. “He bounced right back. He was magnificent. He was outstanding.”
Nix pointed out that he really didn’t have any choice. Not if he wants to be a legit NFL quarterback (ok, he didn’t say that second part, but you know he meant it).
“You cannot go into a shell for the rest of the game. That is not going to do anybody any good, including myself,” Nix admitted. “I definitely was not happy about it, but what can I do, go back and change it? I have to move forward. I can only change the future and go make the plays in front of me. That is what we did.”
Nix threw four touchdowns – joining Peyton Manning and John Elway as the only Broncos’ QBs to win three or more games while also completing four or more passing touchdowns.
Troy Franklin hauled in two of those TD passes while rookie Pat Bryant grabbed one – earning his first NFL touchdown…and the ball from his QB.
But not before he did the most important thing in Broncos Country – the Mile High Salute.
“It was amazing. I just wanted to make sure that I got the ‘Mile High Salute’ in. Especially with the throwbacks, I’ve been hearing it a lot this week. So a very special moment,” he said. “Shoutout to Bo for going to grab [the ball]. … it was a very special moment. Just having Bo throw me my first touchdown was even better.”
But perhaps the most surprising scorer of the day was rookie running back RJ Harvey, who claimed three of the Broncos’ six touchdowns, including one off the Wildcat and another 40-yard TD from a toss in the backfield.
He’s the first rookie running back in 20 years to score three touchdowns in a game.
“It means a lot. It’s just one game. Hopefully I can continue to do that each and every game,” he said. “I’m proud of myself but a lot more work to do.”
It wasn’t just the young guns on offense making a difference. Broncos’ first round pick Jahdae Barron got his first NFL interception and second-year outside linebacker Dondrea Tillman added an INT as well…plust the best run back of the season so far.
In the most obvious sign of the offense’s overall efficiency and production, Jeremy Crawshaw was only called upon twice to punt.
It was the first time this season the Broncos cruised into the W column rather than accelerating past the competition just at the finish line.
“It was everything that we’ve been working for. It was a great week of practice, the plan was great,” said Mike McGlinchey. “I think the way Sean called the game was awesome. We played really well today and complementary football throughout. We were able to continue to stay in front, and on schedule and that’s why our offense looked the way that it did. We limited the penalties on offense, which is a good thing and is a huge step forward for us.”
The win was especially impressive as the Broncos’ defense put the hammer down on the NFL’s No. 1 offense and shut down Dak Prescott who has been playing at an MVP level so far.
“It’s hard to sack [Prescott], but I thought we affected him. I thought we affected him, and that was important,” Payton said. “I just didn’t think they could keep up with what we were doing. So I had said to the defense periodically, ‘Can you guys keep up with us?’ And I thought it was a pretty one-sided game.”
For the defense, Jonathan Cooper called it a statement game.
“I’m proud of how everybody showed up. Definitely a statement win for us, just as a defense… you know, the boys went out there and did our thing,” he said, adding that they stopped the run, put pressure on Prescott and kept the receivers from having a big day. “You have to make them uncomfortable. You can’t let them get into a rhythm, can’t let them get into a flow. I feel like we definitely handled the adversity well when things kind of didn’t go our way. Like I said, I’m just proud of everybody on the team.”
The fact that Prescott sat out the last seven minutes was proof the Broncos had not just beaten the Cowboys but deflated them. Apparently Dallas doesn’t know you can mount a 20-point comeback with only half a quarter to play.
JK Dobbins, who didn’t score but got his second 100-plus yard game, noted that the victory was extra sweet.
“A great win,” said the Texas native. “My grandparents are Cowboys fans so when I get home, I’m going to talk some crap to them.”
The Broncos’ next test from that state could be a little harder as they go on the road to face a Texans’ team with a much higher-ranked defense and an offense that seemed to find its footing with a win over the Niners on Sunday.
But for now it’s time to celebrate the progress of a team on the rise.
“We got a lot of potential. We played really well on all cylinders. Run game, pass game, third downs, base downs, we played well in the red zone and scored points,” said Nix. “We played well when we needed to. Our defense played well and got us the ball back a lot. Overall, it was a really good performance by us.”
