Almost unbelievably, the Denver Broncos did it again.
Trailing 24-13 to the Kansas City Chiefs entering the fourth quarter on Sunday, the Broncos came up with yet another late-game rally to stun the Chiefs in a 28-24 comeback win. This one might be more special than all of the ones before it.
With first place in the AFC West on the line, the Broncos looked lethargic and were highly ineffective offensively through the first three quarters. But like the story we have seen play out so many times now, the defense did enough to keep the team in the game and then an offensive explosion came in the fourth quarter.
Much of that will be described in further detail in this week's edition of the good, the bad and the ugly.
The good, the bad and the ugly from Broncos' Week 8 win
The good
Fourth-quarter execution: It didn't
even look like the same team that we watched in the first three quarters. Suddenly, everything that hadn't worked began to work like a charm. In the third quarter, the Broncos ran nine offensive plays and gained a total of 12 yards. That is not a typo. That led to three different three-and-out possessions.
But in the fourth quarter, the Broncos gained 136 yards and scored 15 points, more than they had for the entire game up to that point. It's incredible how this team keeps doing this.
Jonah Coleman: The Broncos have found their new starting running back; there can be no doubt about that. Coleman was terrific in this game, particularly when the game really needed a play. His biggest play of the day came as a receiver, however. This 51-yard catch-and-run set up the game-winning score:
THE ROOK BREAKS FREE!
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 2, 2026
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/lC66or5Z0i
Reserve safeties: Talanoa Hufanga missed another game due to injury and Brandon Jones was forced to leave with a hamstring injury. In their place, the combination of Taylor Rapp and Devon Key stepped up and played well. Together, they combined for 14 tackles, and Key had a pass breakup.
Alex Singleton: Alex Singleton is not a good coverage linebacker, and teams know it. Kansas City's first touchdown of the day came on a play in which they managed to get Singleton matched up against Rashee Rice. But he has no quit in him and once again led the Broncos with 14 tackles in this game. He also had a critical sack of Patrick Mahomes late in the game.
Defending Kenneth Walker: The Broncos knew they couldn't allow Walker to have the kind of game he had in Week 1 against them, and the defense was up to the task. They limited him to 84 yards on 25 total touches, a far cry from his Week 1 performance, and that was one of the biggest reasons the Broncos won.
Adam Trautman catch: Last week, Trautman made a play that went largely unnoticed, so this week, it's only right to point out what was a tremendous play. In the fourth quarter, with the Broncos trailing by 11 points, Trautman made a phenomenal catch on a Bo Nix pass, reaching out just in front of a charging defender and turning it into a 22-yard gain. This play won't be talked about much, but it was a key play in the Broncos' comeback effort.
The bad
Execution for the first three quarters: What is it with this team? It's incredibly maddening, but when the team finds a way to get a win, it's very easy to forget how bad it was before the final result. This was another case of that, as the team struggled to do much of anything on offense, particularly in the third quarter.
On commentary, J.J. Watt talked throughout the day about how Nix needs to "jump off the high dive," which was his way of saying he needs to stop checking the ball down so often. In the fourth quarter, when he has to have it, he takes those chances. If the Broncos can find a way to have him play like that in the beginning of the game, the team will be that much better.
Evan Engram: Three targets and zero receptions. Those were Engram's stats for this game. He is beginning to look like one of the worst free-agent signings the team has made, as he is completely inconsequential to what this team is doing and has done.
J.K. Dobbins: Most Broncos fans seemed to like J.K. Dobbins' exchange with 9News insider Mike Klis earlier this week, but it was a bit ridiculous, especially when you're going to play as poorly as he's played this season. He might be one step ahead of Engram, but he's fading. He carried the ball seven times for a whopping 13 yards in this game.
It's a good thing he's not an "old" running back.
The ugly
Taylor Rapp tackling attempt: Rapp is going to be the first player to appear in both the good and ugly sections in the same game this season.
EMMETT JOHNSON ARE YOU KIDDING ME 🤯 pic.twitter.com/plKpoxLBVg
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 1, 2026
In his defense, he gets left on an island against a speeding Emmett Johnson on this play, but the attempt he made to prevent the touchdown was pretty poor. All in all, a solid day for Rapp, however.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: The good, the bad and the ugly from Broncos’ Week 8 win over Chiefs
