The Denver Broncos needed a ‘get right’ type game on offense and that is what we got in their road win over the Arizona Cardinals today.
Bo Nix found his legs and found the throws down the seam to put up nearly 400 yards in total offense. Nix would finish 15/29 for 222 yards and a touchdown pass while adding four carries for 75 yards and another touchdown.
At 5-2, the Broncos are knocking the Kansas City Chiefs doorstep with them coming to Denver next week.
Broncos vs. Cardinals final score
First Quarter
Denver’s offense looked like it would start hot on the day with the first play of the game being a 20 yard dart from Bo Nix to Courtland Sutton into Cardinals territory.
However, the offense would go into hibernation for the rest of the quarter. They were aided by good field position to put up two field goal drives, but by and large they were ineffective on offense again to start a game despite the six point lead.
Broncos 6, Cardinals 0. Full first quarter recap.
Second Quarter
The Broncos offense woes continued throughout the second quarter, while the officiating crew came to the aid of the Cardinals with one of the worst defensive pass interference calls ever to help Arizona get back into the game on back-to-back drives.
After tying things up, the Broncos offense needed a spark and a spark they got from Bo Nix. Feeling pressure, he jumped through the middle of the line and took off only to find there were not Cardinals defenders to be found on his way to a 62-yard touchdown scramble.
With the game’s only touchdown, the Broncos went into halftime up 13-6 over the Cardinals.
Broncos 13, Cardinals 6. Full second quarter recap.
Third Quarter
The big plays continued for the Broncos to start the second half. The Cardinals were threatening across midfield, but Denver’s defense made a stop where Adam Prentice blocked the ensuing punt to set Denver’s offense up with good field position.
Two plays into that, Bo Nix hit RJ Harvey on a screen pass who knifed his way through the Cardinals defense for a 52-yard touchdown catch and run to put the Broncos up by two touchdowns midway through the third quarter.
After giving up a touchdown drive, the Broncos’ offense needed to come back out and try to get back up by two scores. Jonah Coleman started things off nicely with a few solid runs to get the Broncos near midfield where Ninx would find Marvin Mims Jr. open down field. Mims would break a tackle and scamper for 47 yards to setup a first and goal.
J.K. Dobbins would cap the drive with a one yard plunge to put the Broncos back up by two touchdowns at the end of the third quarter.
Broncos 27, Cardinals 13. Full third quarter recap.
Fourth Quarter
Despite it being very early in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals seemed to be moving into desperation mode going for it on a fourth and very long. The Broncos defense was there to shut them down and get the ball back into Denver’s hands.
The Broncos run game spearheaded by Jonah Coleman and J.K. Dobbins began to wake up, but the penalty problems also began to wake up. Dobbins had a 15 yard run wiped out by an illegal shift penalty. The good news is, the Bo Nix ‘get right’ game was today as he fired a bullet down the middle of the field to Jaylen Waddle for a 27 yard gain into field goal range.
The vibes were high on that drive and it seemed like nothing could slow Nix down. On a designed rollout he found an open Courtland Sutton for another chunk gain to the Cardinals 13 yard line. A penalty again slowed them down and after getting those yards back faced a third and ten where Nix was immediately pressured and had to throw it away to settle for the field goal and 17-point lead halfway through the fourth quarter.
Arizona put up some garbage time drives, but the clock kept chugging away to the Broncos victory in Week 7 and the defense made the plays it needed to in order to secure the victory.
Broncos 30, Cardinals 16.
