Sean Keeler: It goes without saying that Bonitto has to be great. It also goes without saying that he can be great — the Broncos don’t beat Buffalo without him forcing Josh Allen into two fumbles. The problem? Those turnovers only turned into six Denver points, via two field goals. Which is where Steady Stiddy comes in. I don’t know if Stidham has “great” in his gear box. He just can’t be terrible, or shrink on the stage. Let the defense bring it home. What was Peyton Manning’s stat line in the 2015-16 AFC championship? Seventeen completions on 32 pass attempts for 176 yards through the air — and one massive 12-yard run. Zero interceptions. One fumble lost. The Broncos need that. They need almost exactly that.

Renck: This season is starting to feel like a movie I have seen before. Ten years ago. Patriots at Broncos. AFC championship. Questions about Denver’s quarterback — yes, there were doubts about Peyton Manning — and the nastiness of the Broncos’ defense. Time to run it back. The path for Stidham must be a short one, created by turnovers caused by a menacing pass rush. In the Nik of time, Bonitto is playing his best football. Even when he went into a sack drought during the final quarter of the season, his pressure metrics and pass-rush wins remained steady. Against the Bills, he brought back memories of the Orange Rush. Bonitto is capable of playing like Von Miller, circa 2015. A strip sack or a quarterback hit that leads to a pick-six is very realistic.

Keeler: You know what Stiddy’s got to be great at on Sunday? Getting out of the way. There’s a path with Jarrett. There is. It’s narrow. You’ve gotta squint to see it. But it’s there. Mostly, it’s about accepting your limitations without being handcuffed by them. Losing Nix means losing those legs that can create time and move the chains if Plan A/B/C blows up. Great QBs in this league are measured by their ability to make something out of nothing — think Caleb Williams’ ridiculous back-foot touchdown throw against the Rams late Sunday night, or Those two tosses aren’t in Stiddy’s toolbox. Which means you have to be air-tight when it comes to the basics. No sloppy turnovers. No brain-cramps. In Frank Reich’s two postseason wins as Jim Kelly’s understudy, he threw for six touchdowns with just one pick. If Stiddy’s half that sharp, the Broncos have a chance.

Renck: There are nuances to my take. Most notably, Stidham must protect the ball, but not turtle. He can keep the sticks moving with RPOs — he is more mobile than people think — that will open up play action strikes to Marvin Mims Jr. or Courtland Sutton. This will be a close game, especially if J.K. Dobbins returns. Without Nix to go into a phone booth and find a cape in the fourth quarter, it will be on the defense to win it. The group was not great against the Bills, but five takeaways camouflaged the blemishes. Tom Brady played some of his worst games in Denver because of the noise and altitude. Denver must follow this blueprint by hitting Drake Maye early and often. Bonitto causing havoc, getting sacks, or even taking on double-teams that clear the way for Zach Allen is required for the Broncos to return to Santa Clara.

Keeler: If there’s anybody I’d want coaching with a backup QB in a “money” game, it’s Sean Payton. That’s where all that mad-scientist tinkering works to your advantage. Just ask Taysom Hill. Or Trevor Siemian. Or Teddy Bridgewater. If the defense does what it’s done all season, Stidham doesn’t have to worry about being a “game manager.” He just needs to manage to not screw this moment up.

During the team’s OTA-style practices on Jan. 9 and 10, Payton emphasized good-on-good work.

The No. 1 offense worked against the No. 1 defense. No contact, of course, but Payton and his staff put as much as possible into making the situations competitive.

During one of those practices, receiver Marvin Mims Jr. ran a double-move against reigning defensive player of the year Pat Surtain II and, as Payton tells it, roasted him.

Parker Gabriel’s 7 Thoughts after Broncos’ wild OT win vs. Bills, including why Sean Payton trusts Jarrett Stidham

“We just hadn’t called that play in a while and it looked so good in our joint practice, I was like, ‘Man, that����ap got to go to the call sheet,’” Payton said Sunday morning after the Broncos beat Buffalo, 33-30 in overtime, to advance to the AFC Championship Game.

Part of the Broncos’ normal team meeting the night before a game is to go through what Payton calls the touchdown reel. It����ap a compilation of the plays he thinks players have a chance to score on the next day.

Payton had a message for Mims.

“When we did our video the night before and I put the practice clip up, I said, ‘You’re beating the No. 1 corner in the world,’” Payton recalled. “‘I don’t care who they put over there in the game tomorrow. We’re running this play.’”

The moment arrived in the final 61 seconds of regulation.

Mims motioned from the right slot to outside on the left.

He closed the gap to Buffalo corner Dane Jackson, stuttered and took off up the field. Jackson did a fairly good job sticking with him, but Mims pulled away by just enough and left space to allow Nix to put the ball to his outside along the sideline.

The 26-yard touchdown put the Broncos momentarily in front with 55 seconds to go.

“There’s a few times I’ll say to the (coaches) in the booth, ‘guys, we can’t finish this game with me not having called that play,’” Payton said. “That was one of those plays. We cannot finish this game with me not having called that play.”

Josh Allen engineered a field goal drive in the final minute, then overtime brought more twists and turns. Different from many games this year, though, Mims was on the field for most of them.

Mims played 47 of Denver’s 72 offensive snaps, a 65% rate that checks in as the second-highest usage of his three-year career. Coincidentally, the most Mims had ever played was 69.3% of snaps in a 2023 Monday Night Football win at Buffalo.

Mims averaged 37% usage during the regular season and really only saw the uptick in work Saturday because rookie Pat Bryant (concussion) left the game after three plays and Troy Franklin played just 13 before injuring his hamstring early in the second quarter.

Mims took full advantage, catching all eight of his targets for 93 yards -- his most since 103 and two touchdowns on Dec. 28, 2024 at Cincinnati -- and also drew a game-sealing, 30-yard pass interference penalty in overtime that set up Wil Lutz’s walk-off field goal.

Has it really come to this? That we have to pray for Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to get a second chance as an NFL head coach?

The cycle got thrown for a loop with the firing of John Harbaugh. But even as the Super Bowl-winning coach finalizes a deal with the New York Giants, eight vacancies remain. And you are telling me that Joseph, with the resume he has put together over the past three seasons, is not deserving of one?

Hogwash.

Joseph has shown himself more than capable after creating a brotherhood of bullies with the Broncos defense. The group ranks first in sacks (68), yards per play (4.6) and red zone touchdown percentage (42.6), and third in points per game (18.3). He blends humility with knowledge, and his refusal to point fingers inspires devotion from players. Just throw on the film and watch how hard guys run to the ball, and execute their assignments.

Joseph has talked in some capacity with nearly every team that has an opening. The knee-jerk response is that he was horrible in his first chance. The record said as much. He only lasted two seasons with the Broncos, compiling an 11-21 record. He was drinking out of a firehose and not allowed to hire his staff, leaving many to backstab or undermine him.

He has the seven-year itch. He is ready after padding his resume in Arizona and Denver since 2018.

Yet, his candidacy does not seem to be taken seriously in a league where offensive minds are valued more by owners.

Baltimore is the best job, and the idea of Joseph fixing the Ravens’ defense with Davis Webb calling plays for Lamar Jackson is tantalizing. Same goes for the Titans, and possibly the Raiders, depending on your view of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 overall draft pick.

Joseph fits in a lot of places, especially if he brings Webb with him. He is not getting his due. Or the respect he deserves. In the end, Arizona could be the landing spot. Ownership appreciated his work as the defensive coordinator under Kliff Kingsbury and how he held things together behind the scenes. He would likely be given three years to get the Cardinals back on track.

Patience helps. But not as much as a quarterback. He would have to mend fences with Kyler Murray, or eat dead money and find a different answer.

Joseph deserves another opportunity. And if he does not land a job in this cycle, there is no defense of that.

Iron Mike: Mike Tomlin’s resignation sent seismic shockwaves through the NFL. I’ve written multiple times in this spot that this was likely his last year with the Steelers. He did not feel appreciated, but the truth is, he hadn’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season. He is a culture builder, a leader. He will benefit from a year off in broadcasting and return fresh with a new perspective on offense.

Seaton leaving: is not a surprise. Despite what CU fanboys scream, Seaton regressed last season, missed multiple games with an injury and did not put on good game tape against Utah. To regain his first-round status, Seaton needs better coaching. And, obviously, more money. But that has led to a potential odd destination. Mississippi State? Sure, the Bulldogs can pay him, but they are an SEC also-ran. Would he really choose his old CU line boss and current Bulldogs coach Phil Loadholt over a powerhouse? That seems like a miscalculation.

Receiver in the backfield: Even before Saturday’s anticipated chill and windy weather, it was obvious the Broncos need to run to win. The Bills’ rush defense stinks. As much as I want Jaleel McLaughlin to carry the load, Marvin Mims Jr. represents a secret playmaker. When the Bills crack, they become the San Andreas Fault. They have allowed more long touchdown runs than anyone. This is where Mims in the backfield could go off. One 35-yard burst could change the game. Sean Payton will write “Run It” on his playsheet. Now, do us all a favor and do it. ]]> 7396463 2026-01-16T15:24:55+00:00 2026-01-16T15:26:39+00:00 /2026/01/03/broncos-offense-playoffs-sean-payton-vindication-renck/ Sat, 03 Jan 2026 15:24:13 +0000 /?p=7382483 On a forgettable Thursday night, the Broncos became Raiders of the Lost Art.

They won, beating  Las Vegas, despite finishing with more penalties (11) than first downs (10). There is winning ugly, and there is delivering a victory while looking like Freddy Krueger.

In the six games since, the Broncos have averaged 24.5 points per game. As the excitement bubbles about the postseason, it is important to remember how vulnerable the Broncos are. They have trailed in 12 of their wins. Their negative turnover margin cannot be ignored.

But there is a takeaway as important as the takeaways: it is time for Sean Payton to shine.

The Broncos invite skepticism, though it diminished this week when Jim Harbaugh decided to play the Junior Varsity Chargers. They make it hard to believe.

The ship is currently swaying after an underwhelming performance in Kansas City. And when the waters are choppy, the captain is who you look for.

To quote Walt Whitman, “O Payton! My Payton!”

Payton always tells his players, wisely, that they will play in bigger games. It is how he has reframed expectations for three years until the Super Bowl became the only thing that mattered.

The Broncos are entering the portion of the schedule that brought him out of his one-year TV hiatus. This is when legacies are enhanced, and in the case of Payton, a Hall of Fame resume is enhanced.

Every reason for coming to Denver — strong ownership, diehard fans, terrific facilities — can make sense over the next month. Clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed, secure homefield advantage, and get the bye. Do that, and only two victories would stand between the Broncos and Super Bowl LX.

So, suddenly, and at least a year ahead of schedule — given the dead cap issues — Payton finds himself in the spotlight.

Time to goose the offense.

We know D-coordinator Vance Joseph is under pressure to produce more turnovers. That does not absolve Payton.

When the Bills smoked the Broncos in the playoffs last January, was it Joseph’s fault that Payton abandoned a plan to run, leading to quick drives and a heavier lift for the defense? Yes, James Cook riddled Denver on the ground. It is also hard to win when your offense fails to score on its final seven drives.

It’s important to remember how that game looked when the Broncos line up on Sunday.

Payton must find answers in his reading peepers; dialing up more chunk plays. There are times when, looking at the concepts and routes, he is a master. And there are times — the Raiders game, the first half of the Chiefs on Christmas — when the Broncos look like impostors, especially in the red zone.

Let’s make this simple: The Broncos will beat the Chargers. And they must build confidence in the process.

Despite facing backups, Payton views this as the start of the playoffs. OK, so no excuses for easing off the throttle.

Success depends on balance, finding a way to maximize Bo Nix, while not forgetting about R.J. Harvey, whose ability to extend drives will benefit Denver in a few weeks. That is when they will face the lowest remaining seed, with the Texans, Bills and Chargers as the potential candidates.

It is easy to find critics who believe the Broncos’ “Been There, Done That” AFC West championship gear will be replaced by “One and Done” T-shirts. It happens. Peyton Manning struggled coming off a bye as much as anyone.

And yet hope exists if Payton can get this offense to click.

Why? Nobody knows who the best team in the NFL is. Or if some of the playoff teams are any good.

The Texans could suffocate the Broncos with their defense. But they could also gift wrap a victory given how C.J. Stroud plays on the road. Justin Herbert is a miracle worker. His offensive line, however, is a dream crusher.

And for all of the praise of Josh Allen — he is the reigning MVP for a reason — the Bills lost last weekend without the Eagles completing a pass in the second half. Again, when the Broncos return to the playoffs in two weeks, the field will be wide open.

Payton cannot let the pursuit of the top seed affect the Broncos’ disposition. No time to turtle, and then ask the defense to set up a game-winning field goal. Make danger a stranger.

The Broncos need explosiveness. Nix rushing for 50 yards and Evan Engram matching him in receiving yards would go a long way in reshaping the opinion of the Broncos’ postseason chances.

It will require play-calling imagination beyond wide receiver screens and swing passes out of the backfield. Just because a team plays zone — the Chargers will feature a steady diet of the same principles the Chiefs employed on Christmas — that should not negate big gains.

It is tougher, sure. But this is where Nix’s legs can make a difference. Where Engram can help. And where repeated small chunks can open up a deep strike to Marvin Mims Jr.

That is what is missing. Think back to the Jaguars game. Jacksonville gave up three first-half sacks, and Liam Coen never lost his nerve. Trevor Lawrence hung in the pocket, took hits, and delivered dimes to multiple players who racked up yards after contact over the final 30 minutes.

Payton is at his best when he is cocky and aggressive. He was not himself last season in Buffalo. And truth be told, his team was not ready for the big stage.

Externally, doubts remain. Wins in the next three games can provide vindication.

Hiring Payton gave the Broncos buzz. Now, as the franchise enters its most important stretch in a decade, they need him to provide them with an edge.

Hearty Harvey: Raiders Week is now Raiders Weak. But the Broncos had things to prove, and hardly Harvey becoming hearty Harvey ranked tops on the list. And just like that, the Broncos look better positioned to face their final month gauntlet against the Packers, Jaguars, Chiefs and Chargers, the NFL’s third toughest strength of schedule remaining. RJ Harvey rewarded coach Sean Payton’s faith with a breakout game. He rushed a career-best 17 times for 75 yards. He also set a new personal record with six receptions for 25 yards. These numbers are not mind-numbing but necessary. The Broncos still pass too much. However, the ability to rush the football allowed Denver to post three drives of eight-plus minutes.

Broncos-Raiders report card: Sean Payton, Bo Nix execute ruthless gameplan in comfortable win

Mims the Word: Marvin Mims Jr. is not a returner. He is a playmaker. Since his return from a concussion, he has impacted the game on special teams, turning a team concern into a strength. Even as a two-time All-Pro player, he pulled off a first. Mims delivered his first punt return for a touchdown Sunday on his 69th career attempt. It was a bit unconventional given his skillset. The Raiders had him surrounded as he caught the ball, appearing corralled. Then he bounced out to the left and followed a convoy into the end zone, aided by a last crushing block by JL Skinner on punter A.J. Cole. Mims ripped off a 70-yard return against the Chiefs in the first quarter, setting up an important field goal in a one-score game. Mims is averaging 16.4 yards on punt returns this season after leading the league with 15.7 yards per clip a year ago.

Broncos analysis: Sean Payton, Bo Nix deliver ugly-by-design, 24-17 win vs. Raiders

Sack Attack Back: After a wobbly first drive, allowing five first downs, the Broncos defense took over. Denver yielded only 76 yards in the first half. That was frankly expected against the sorry Raiders. Something else was needed regarding the big picture: the return of Orange Rush. There were suspicions that the Chiefs and Commanders found a hack, getting the ball out quickly. But Denver found a counterpunch. The Broncos won a game this season for the first time without trailing. It left Raiders quarterback Geno Smith vulnerable on third and longs and eventually injured, leaving the game with a sprained right shoulder. The Broncos finished with four sacks, including a pair from Nik Bonitto.

Hold your horses: The disrespect of the Broncos remains real. ����apountry believes in this team, but the wise guys do not. Despite a 10-game winning streak this season, despite an 11-game home winning streak bridging last season, the Broncos opened as a 1.5-point underdog to the Packers, per betonline. It has only happened seven times in NFL history where a team with at least a 10-game home winning streak has not been favored. Teams are 2-4 in these spots, including Denver's 22-19 win over the Chiefs on Nov. 16.

The team has ruled the All-Pro returner out for a second straight game, after Mims suffered a concussion on a kickoff return in the fourth quarter of a 44-24 win over Dallas on Oct. 26. Head coach Sean Payton clarified that special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi was trying to send in Tyler Badie to sub in late for Mims with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter, but “somehow the communication failed,” and Badie ended up entering the game for RJ Harvey instead.

Mims sustained the concussion after a 26-yard return on the play. The receiver has made progress through the concussion protocol this week, and was designated as a limited participant in Tuesday’s practice and in Wednesday’s walkthrough. But he didn’t clear the final stages in time for a Thursday night matchup and will now miss Week 10’s AFC West divisional showdown with the Raiders.

The receiver has seen his role fluctuate throughout his third season in Payton’s system, but he was an integral contributor in Denver’s Week 7 comeback win over the Giants. Mims has 22 catches for 234 yards and two total touchdowns from scrimmage in eight games.

Cornerback Pat Surtain II and tight end Nate Adkins are also set to miss their second straight games after not practicing this week. Reserve safety P.J. Locke, meanwhile, is questionable with a neck injury.

HOF semifinalists: Mike Shanahan and Dan Reeves are into the Pro Football Hall of Fame red zone once again.

The pair of former Broncos coaches is among nine semifinalists being considered for enshrinement in the 2026 Hall of Fame class.

A blue ribbon committee tasked with identifying a coaching finalist whittled its list from 12 to nine. The committee is set to meet Nov. 18 to determine one finalist. That finalist then goes forward to a vote of the full PFHOF committee and must receive 80% of the vote in order to be enshrined.

Mike Holmgren, another of the nine finalists, was last year’s finalist but came up short of the required support from the full committee.

Everybody else may be waiting at least another year, however. The perceived heavy favorite is six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick, who is eligible for the first time.

Shanahan and the late Reeves are no strangers to waiting when it comes to the Hall.

Shanahan has made it well into the process four straight years, though the process has changed during that time.

The winningest coach in Broncos history, Shanahan is a two-time Super Bowl champion and coached Denver from 1995-2008.

“He should be in,” current Broncos head coach and fellow Eastern Illinois alumn Sean Payton said last month. “He’s going to get in. He needs to get in sooner than later. Two championships, the coaching tree, the history as a coordinator and then as a head coach. I don’t even want to compare him against others that are in or candidates to be in, but his impact, beyond just two Super Bowls, his impact on the game offensively, having played against his teams, it����ap time.”

Besides Belichick, Shanahan is the only coach eligible for the Hall who has won back-to-back Super Bowls and hasn’t been inducted.

Reeves, who died in 2022, was Denver’s coach from 1981-92 and won 110 games in Denver. He later coached the New York Giants and Atlanta and his 190 total regular-season wins are 10th in NFL history.

Denver ranked top five in special teams last year under Ben Kotwica. This season, it is considered a win if the Broncos commit fewer than five blunders a week under Darren Rizzi.

The Broncos are bad. They have a new coordinator. Are the two related? It sure seems like it.

However, the man whose only opinion matters, coach Sean Payton, does not think so.

First, evidence on the initial point. Give me a second, it took a while to download this file.

Rizzi’s special-teamers allowed a 71-yard kickoff return in the season opener, committed a ridiculous leverage penalty on a field goal attempt against the Colts, and screwed up a substitution that led to Marvin Mims Jr. remaining on a kickoff against the Cowboys, resulting in a concussion. Then the tour de farce came last week at Houston: a blocked field goal, muffed punt, 45-yard punt return and late hit by longsnapper Mitchell Fraboni.

The mistakes cost the Broncos nine points in an 18-15 victory. They did not win because of special teams. They won despite them.

There is no hiding from this. The Broncos have a real, festering issue that threatens to jeopardize a special season.

Is Rizzi to blame? He pointed the finger at the man in the mirror on Tuesday when I asked him about the mess, a positive step forward. It is impossible to identify a solution without acknowledging the problem.

“It starts with me,” Rizzi said. “We have to help the cause more. We cannot be the reason that we’re losing field position and things like that. It always starts with me as a coordinator, and it trickles down to the players. I certainly take full responsibility on getting it cleaned up. I’ll tell you right now that through my experience, I’m certainly confident in myself and my ability, and we’ll get it cleaned up.”

When the 2024 season ended, despite snapping a seven-year playoff drought, Payton could not wait to fire Kotwica. With special teams guru and assistant head coach Mike Westhoff resigning last November because of vision issues, Kotwica was no longer insulated.

He did not have a history with Payton. It meant he had no protection, and Payton refused to forgive him for a blocked field at Kansas City that cost the Broncos a victory when Alex Forsyth was pancaked.

Payton has more than earned the right to employ whomever he wants. He is equal parts great one and grate one, but his methods work. The Broncos sit atop the AFC West entering Thursday’s game against the Raiders.

Remember, Payton did not leave New Orleans. He brought New Orleans with him. So when Rizzi became available after failing to land the Saints head coaching job, Payton scooped him up, even letting special teams assistant Chris Banjo leave for the Jets in the process.

If last season represented a head coach-to-coordinator disconnect, then what is this season?

The Broncos have gone from reliable to volatile. Yet Payton continues to provide cover for Rizzi. He clarified on Monday that his displeasure with the special teams against the Texans centered on the players.

“The coaching is outstanding,” Payton said.

That is debatable. But Rizzi’s resume shows he deserves patience.

He has performed this job for 33 years, counting the NFL and college. In his last stop in New Orleans, Rizzi’s units finished in the top 10 of Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings four times (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023). Those numbers are based on net punting, opponent net punting, field goal percentage, kickoff return and coverage. They finished first in 2023. Kotwica’s group placed fourth in 2024.

This season, Rizzi’s unit sits in the bottom third, dragged down by opponent net punting (32), poor kick coverage (31st) and kick returns (23rd).

Payton addressed the issue this week.

“We spent some time on it. We had a video of — again, the guys running on late — we showed that video in front of the team, and I said, ‘This can’t happen.’ It can’t happen in nickel. It can’t happen in base. We really have to be on point,'” Payton said. “When there is an injury or two and a core (special) teamer is playing more on one side of the ball or other, are we getting the same focus still in the kicking game? We met with a few guys. Those guys are working, and we will get that ironed out.”

Rizzi is a Payton guy, one of many with New Orleans ties on this staff. Loyalty is admirable. But it cannot be blind. The fact that Payton is facing it head-on is a good sign. That was part of the rub with Rizzi.

He wasn’t exactly inspiring confidence in the way he was addressing issues during scrums with reporters. His reasons for failures sounded more like excuses. And when he refused to address the Mims substitution mix-up — one brought up unsolicited by Payton days earlier — it felt like he was avoiding accountability.

Was it the player’s fault for telling the wrong guy to come out? Yeah. But you know how to avoid that? Walk over to Mims on the sideline, tap him on the shoulder, and tell him his day is done.

Easy. Straightforward. No ambiguity.

When Michael Bandy misjudged and muffed a punt against the Texans, it only amplified how awful and avoidable the mistake with Mims was.

This week offered a path forward for Rizzi. He took it, refusing to skirt responsibility. It was and is necessary.

If we are being honest, the way the Broncos are winning is not sustainable. They have a minus-1 point differential through the first three quarters and plus-60 in the fourth, the latter representing the best in the NFL through nine games since 2016.

The margins are thin. Miracle comebacks come with expiration dates. The schedule becomes much tougher after Thursday. The defense cannot continue to prop up an offense that sleepwalks through the first half or a special teams group that sabotages with fundamental gaffes.

The errors have been egregious, leading to news conferences like Tuesday with Rizzi. He is not getting fired. Nor should he be.

He faced the music. Now, it is time for the special teamers to stop the noise, limit the mistakes and peek at the scoreboard without wondering if they diminished a win or caused a loss.

Denver is placing receiver Marvin Mims Jr. in the concussion protocol, the team said. Mims took a massive helmet-to-helmet shot from Cowboys corner Reddy Stewart on a 9-yard rush in the third quarter, but Mims continued to play throughout the second half. A source told The Denver Post that he sustained a concussion and entered protocol after a hit on a kickoff return with less than five minutes to play in the fourth quarter.

On that 26-yard return, Mims appeared to take a shot to the back of his helmet while falling out of bounds. The All-Pro returner lingered on the turf for a beat before getting up and returning to the sideline.

After a six-catch, 85-yard breakout in Week 7 against the Giants, Mims was quieter offensively against the Cowboys with three carries for 18 yards but no catches and just a single target. He made a big impact in the return game, though, with one 46-yard runback of a third-quarter kickoff that set up a Broncos field goal.

It is difficult to describe something that could not happen, should not happen, not even in this town with this team.

The mouth-agape comebacks of John Elway define this franchise. Peyton Manning had a night in San Diego that remains hard to wrap one’s head around. And to this day, no one can properly articulate how Tim Tebow was able to suspend belief for two months in 2011.

What happened Sunday has entered the group chat.

The 2025 Broncos have officially become easier to appreciate than explain. They crawled on their bellies out of a 19-point ditch in the fourth quarter to win one of the wildest games in franchise history. It might be fleeting, but it sure felt like the ghosts of the past.

Broncos score franchise-record 33 fourth-quarter points, storm to walk-off win vs. Giants

"This was a great win for this state, ����apountry, this team," bellowed left tackle Garett Bolles after the 33-32 victory over the New York Giants. "We are for real. This is who we are."

As reporters waited for coach Sean Payton, the screams of joy from the locker room seeped through the walls. These Broncos were jubilant. They are 5-2, a contender, if by record only, in the AFC.

But for the longest time on a gorgeous fall afternoon, they were not. And it hurt. All teams have bad games. Given the time and the place, the first 50 minutes were embarrassing.

A record number of alumni returned to Empower Field for Demaryius Thomas' induction into the Ring of Fame, to honor the Super Bowl 50 team.

Was it too much to ask the current squad to beat the sorry Giants?

For three quarters, yes.

The Broncos seemed determined to splatter Ragu on Mona Lisa. They punted, stumbled, botched plays, blew assignments. They were booed as they entered the locker room at halftime. Appropriately so. They stunk, firmly in danger of getting blanked at home for the first time ever.

Then, in ways that conjured memories of a decade ago when the Broncos won a staggering 11 one-score games, they found themselves in the final breaths of the fight.

Inside linebacker Justin Strnad delivered the team's first interception since Week 3. Aqib Talib had a similar pick at Kansas City and at home against the Ravens. Marvin Mims Jr. caught a pass not intended for him. Man, that jolt felt like Emmanuel Sanders streaking down the sidelines at Cleveland. Courtland Sutton caught a pass when it mattered most because that is what DT always did, and Sutton is DT in this offense.

The Broncos are clearly not as good as they should be or need to be. But watching them overcome a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit that 1,602 straight NFL teams could not, they might just be tougher than any of us could have ever imagined.

"Never seen anything like it," ex-defensive end Derek Wolfe said, shaking his head. "Crazy."

These Broncos have made history in two of their five wins with fourth-quarter magic. First when trailing by 14 in the final 15 minutes at Philadelphia. Then on Sunday.

BoBot Nix became UnBolieveable, the first player in NFL history to rush for two touchdowns and pass for two scores in any quarter.

"I don't even know how we scored 33 points,” Nix said. “That's kind of insane.”

Payton mercifully went uptempo, allowing an offense that had failed to score a touchdown on 16 straight possessions over six quarters to awake from hibernation.

"It's like we had to clean up our own mess," said Payton, whose offense was so bad for so long even former Broncos quarterback Ben DiNucci asked on Twitter if Davis Webb should be calling plays.

Hard to blame him when the Broncos were down 26-8 with 6:38 remaining. Cornerback Pat Surtain II admitted he "lost hope."

Then Nix scooted in for a 7-yard score (why he doesn't run more is one of the most frustrating things about this underwhelming attack). He found R.J. Harvey for a 2-yard touchdown. Then Nix showed why he ran the 400 meters in high school, racing in from 18 yards out.

"I was riding down the elevator and talking with (receiver) Bubba Caldwell about this. That ending reminded me of our Super Bowl team. Somehow finding a way to win," former running back C.J. Anderson said. "You only win games like that in Denver. You get teams in this altitude, wild things happen."

But on a footprint where Elway has taken souls, this defined imagination.

"Straight (B.S.)," Talib said. Teammate T.J. Ward scowled, "(Bleep) no that wasn't P.I. They were trying to give the game to them." Or as Chris Harris Jr. put it, "Just terrible."

The Broncos, however, caught a break with the ball at the 1-yard line. Dart scored on the first play, leaving 37 seconds on the clock, and then the Giants missed the PAT.

You knew what was going to happen next. Nix to Mims for 29 yards. "When I saw Courtland go past me, I was like (bleep) that ball wasn't for me." Nix to Sutton for 22 yards on a play the Broncos added on Saturday. Wil Lutz jogged onto the field and the Broncos walked off with the most improbable win.

They had two eight-point scoring drives in the fourth quarter. Thomas wore jersey No. 88. They scored 33 points in the fourth quarter, Thomas' age when he passed away.

Maybe it was a coincidence. Probably not.

For a glorious final quarter,  it was 2015 again.

"That is what championship teams do. That is what they do," Talib said as the Super Bowl 50 players exited the stadium. "We were always going to remember this weekend for D.T. and our team. But, it definitely makes it a (heck) of a lot more special to get the 'Dub.'"

Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. was limited in Saturday’s practice with a hip injury and is questionable to play against Cincinnati, according to the team’s afternoon injury report. It’s an unexpected development, as Mims hadn’t been listed on the injury report through Friday.

Mims had his coming-out party last year against the Bengals, racking up eight catches for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a Week 17 overtime loss. It was a potential turning point in the young wideout’s career, as head coach Sean Payton seemed to unlock his potential down the stretch in 2024 by running him out of the backfield on various plays.

After totaling six touchdowns in his final seven games last season, though, Mims has been quiet to start 2025, with six catches for 40 yards and a touchdown through three games.

“We have packages where we have tags where he’s in there, and so a lot of it, just — when you have 48 plays in a game, you don’t get to two-thirds of your offense,” Payton said Saturday when asked if Mims’ backfield usage was still in the back of his head. “So, yes.”

Bengals with a couple key absences: There will be no Noah Fant revenge game in Denver on Monday.

The Bengals tight end has been ruled out with a concussion, according to the team’s Saturday injury report. Fant was the Broncos’ first-round pick in 2019, and was later traded to the Seahawks in 2022 as a key piece in the Russell Wilson deal.

Cincinnati will also be without 2025 first-round pick Shemar Stewart, who suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 and will now miss his second straight game. The Broncos’ offensive line, then, will primarily face veteran Joseph Ossai off the edge Monday night opposite star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson.

Payton not looking ahead much: The Broncos are set to embark on one of their more grueling season stretches in recent memory: a short week after Monday that rolls right into a road trip to Philadelphia, and then a flight to London for Week 6 against the Jets.

Payton made clear he hasn’t given one iota of thought to the upcoming schedule, cracking that he’d simply given his passport to his assistant Paul Kelly.

“I promise you — I’ve given my passport, he’s put the itineraries on my desk,” Payton said. “I’ll get a chance to look at ‘em.”