Broncos Survive Commanders OT Upset Bid, 27 -26, Extend Win Streak To Nine Games

The Denver Broncos came into tonight’s game against the Washington Commanders as significant favorites, but they left as mere survivors. The Broncos eked out a 27-26 win in overtime, as linebacker Nik Bonitto slapped away a pass by Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota to thwart a two-point conversion that would have won the game for Washington.

This was one of the wildest games of the year for the Broncos, which is saying something given how many close games they’ve been in. The pesky Commanders kept counterpunching through out the game in a back-and-forth battle, coming back from multiple deficits to force overtime with a Jake Moody field goal on the final play of regulation.

The first quarter started quietly with a 33-yard field goal by Wil Lutz after a Broncos drive stalled in the red zone. Another field goal made it 6-0 after an interception by linebacker Dre Greenlaw, but Washington finally scored a touchdown on an eight-yard run by running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. after an awful Bonitto penalty kept their drive alive.

Denver countered with an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bo Nix to receiver Courtland Sutton to make it 13-6 at halftime, but the fireworks were just getting started.

Both teams scored touchdowns in the third quarter, but that barely describes Washington’s score. It came on a spectacular one-hand grab by receiver Treylon Burks, but Nix brought the Broncos back on another long drive that gave Denver the lead, 20-14. The touchdown came on the first of two rushing touchdowns by running back RJ Harvey from two yards out.

Washington posted two more field goals by kicker Jake Moody in the fourth quarter after a series of wild drives. The Commanders dominated the possession game throughout the quarter, but drives by both teams were marred by constant, crucial penalties. Mariota matched Nix play-for-play down the stretch, which led to the final Moody field goal that tied the game at 20-20.

Nix’s internal clutch alarm went off when overtime started, and he led Denver to a touchdown by covering 76 yards in just five plays, with the key play being a 41-yard throw to tight end Evan Engram. Running back RJ Harvey ran it once again in from four yards out, but the Commanders weren’t done just yet.

Mariota led yet another comeback drive, with the key play being a 38-yard strike to receiver Deebo Samuel that came up two yards short of the goal line. It took the Commanders four more plays, but a fourth-down touchdown strike to receiver Terry McLaurin from four yards out pulled Washington to within a point at 27-26.

The decision to go for two felt obvious given Washington’s 3-8 record coming into this one, and Mariota’s final throw would have resulted in a walk-in touchdown if Bonitto hadn’t leaped high into the air to block the throw and force the incompletion.

The stats barely begin to tell the story of this game, but both Nix and Mariota ended up in posting big passing numbers in a game that turned into a penalty-marred shootout. Nix ended up going 29-for-45 for 321 yards to go with a touchdown and an interception, while Mariota got most of his passing yards late as he went 28-for-50 for 294 yards to go with two touchdowns and an interception.

Harvey scored twice on the ground, but Denver barely had a running game in this one, while Washington ran the ball effectively for much of the night, with Mariota scrambling for 55 yards on ten carries to complement Rodriguez’s 41 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. Mariota also survived the usually lethal Broncos pass rush, getting sacked just twice for 18 yards.

Denvers get a theoretical breather next week as they play the Las Vegas Raiders in Vegas, but the Broncos don’t seem to know how to play anything but close games. Their winning margins in their last four games have been 3, 3, 3 and 1, which set an NFL record for the closest margins over a four-game stretch. Washington, meanwhile, goes on the road to face the New York Giants as they try and stay out of the basement in the NFC East.