Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos played an ugly game on Sunday morning in London and struggled in two of the three phases of the game. Bo Nix and the offense went cold in the second half, all while the special teams allowed over 200 yards of punt and kicking returns. Despite these issues, the Broncos are going to leave London with a victory.
Denver, at least as of when their game went final a little before the kickoff of the early window, moved back into first place in the AFC West. The Broncos picked up their fourth win of the season, and it could probably be considered the least deserved win they have had yet. Regardless, Denver won and now sits at 4-2 through six games.
Ultimately, the Broncos were going to need to win games like this if they wanted to move on through the AFC playoff picture. The game in London could be properly characterized as an “ugly win” for the Broncos. There are several takeaways and issues for the Broncos to work on, but it was added to the win column all the same. Ugly wins are still wins, and the Broncos should have more confidence in themselves after today.
The Broncos needed to win an ugly game, and it bodes well for their 2025 playoff chances
Ugly wins can come in several ways: games like today’s in which offenses stagger and are dragged to the finish line, back-and-forth games that see several lead changes, or maybe even wins where major leads were erased and the final score was too close for comfort. The Broncos saw their offense total under 250 yards, they lost the turnover battle, and the rushing game averaged under four yards per carry, highlighted by JK Dobbins’ lowest output of the season with just 40 yards.
Far more often than not, an ugly one comes in a close game that finishes within one score. The Broncos have struggled in one-score games over the last two years, but now have found themselves winners of the last two. Denver has been able to finish off games in the fourth quarter while getting to the quarterback, potentially saving their season with two consecutive one-score wins.
In order to win within the conference, the Broncos were going to need to steal a few games this year. There might not be many more games in which Cortland Sutton has just two catches and JK Dobbins rushes for under 40 yards, but the Broncos will at least have a win in games with those performances. If the Broncos win the division by one game or are seeded better by just one win, Broncos fans will look back to their gutsy, ugly win over the Jets in London.
