Unless you’re the original Tampa Bay Buccaneers and this year’s Detroit Lions, there are big wins over the course of every NFL season. And sometimes there are even bigger wins.
And then you have the Broncos’ win over the Falcons.
Talk about a gut check. The Falcons hadn’t lost at home all season. Their quarterback, Matt Ryan, hadn’t thrown an interception at home all season. They were averaging 32 points per game at home.
But they got beat by the Broncos, whose injury epidemic forced them to start a small army of rookies in the game.
As impressive as Denver’s 24-20 victory was, it may look even better down the road. In the end, it may give the Broncos a two-game lead over the Chargers going into the season finale at San Diego.
That’s critical since the Chargers could own the tie-breaker going into that game. The Broncos have lost to Kansas City and the Chargers have a chance to sweep the Chiefs and Raiders. In that event, the Chargers would win the AFC West if they finish tied with the Broncos.
But that’s looking down the road. The Broncos obviously aren’t doing that. They were focused on beating the Falcons Sunday and, improbably as it seemed, they did it. In the process, they racked up their most impressive victory of the season.
No? Then consider this: The win marked the first time in 2008 that the Broncos had beaten a team with a better record than they had going into the game.
Follow Jim Armstrong’s sports updates on The Jimmy Page morning and afternoon Monday-Friday. And read his columns on Sundays at .
He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
