The Denver Broncos pulled off an impressive 30-26 comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football in Week 3 after trailing 16-0 at halftime. Here are five quick takeaways following that wild ride.
1. Talanoa Hufanga called the game: After dropping multiple would-be interceptions last season, the veteran safety finally secured the ball for the Broncos — twice! — in crucial moments on SNF. First, Hufanga had a 66-yard pick-six that gave Denver a 23-19 lead. Then, later in the fourth quarter, Hufanga intercepted Matthew Stafford's final pass of the game to secure a 30-26 victory. Those two takeaways more than make up for Hufanga's missed opportunities in 2025. Many players had a hand in Sunday's comeback, but nobody was more crucial than Hufanga.
2. Denver’s run game is grounded: J.K. Dobbins rushed 17 times for 49 yards, averaging just 2.9 yards per carry. Dobbins also fumbled. RJ Harvey, who exited in the third quarter to be evaluated for a possible concussion, got just two carries for six yards. Harvey later returned in the fourth quarter. Tyler Badie had a two-yard rush. Jonah Coleman looked like the team's best pure running back last week (Harvey is a talented receiver out of the backfield), but the rookie is now on injured reserve for at least three more games. The Broncos will need at least one of Dobbins or Harvey to be more efficient, because the offense will continue to get bogged down if they can't run the ball.
3. Kolbe Katsis stepped up: Filling in for an injured Marvin Mims, the undrafted rookie returned three punts for 39 yards and four kickoffs for 107 yards. Katsis bobbled one return and muffed another, but he eventually secured the ball both times. His 28-yard punt return in the third quarter set up Denver's first touchdown of the game, and after a successful two-point conversion, the Broncos trailed by just one score. The rookie needs to get the muffs cleaned up, but with Mims scheduled to become a free agent in 2027, Katsis will be a name to watch going forward.
4. Broncos QB Bo Nix remains clutch: It wasn't pretty early. Denver's offense scored no points in the first half. Nix continued to struggle with balls getting knocked down, and one of his tipped passes was intercepted. But, just as he was so many times last season, Nix was clutch when it mattered most. The Broncos' offense scored 23 second-half points, including two touchdown passes from Nix and a touchdown run on a QB sneak. Dating back to last season, Nix has nine game-winning drives and seven fourth-quarter comeback wins, both of which rank first in the NFL.
5. That might have been a Super Bowl preview: Many fans and pundits thought Denver and L.A. were bound to meet in last season's Super Bowl (even Cris Collinsworth mentioned it). It wasn't meant to be last season, but after watching that thriller on Sunday evening, NFL fans would probably love to watch a rematch in this season's Super Bowl. L.A. fans are upset about a pass interference penalty that nullified a Josh Wallace interception, and that play will likely stick with the Rams for the rest of the season. If they do meet again in the Super Bowl, L.A. would be eager to avenge that perceived blown call. There's a lot of football left to play, though, so it's still too early to predict a Broncos-Rams rematch. It would undoubtedly be an entertaining matchup if it does happen, though.
Up next, Denver will go on the road to face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4. The undefeated Niners are considered home favorites going into that showdown at Levi's Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 5 takeaways from Broncos' comeback win over Rams on 'SNF'
