For 30 minutes, nothing seemed to be going right for the Denver Broncos.
Last year’s AFC runners-up tormented their home crowd for much of the first half, digging themselves a 16-0 hole and looking downright lethargic on offense.
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Then the script flipped.
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Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos scratches his head during the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (Denver Post via Getty Images)
The Broncos rode an opportunistic defense and some fourth-quarter magic from quarterback Bo Nix to an impressive second-half comeback against the Los Angeles Rams in a Sunday night classic in the Mile High City.
Even after Nix’s one-yard quarterback sneak put his team ahead with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, the Broncos had to hold their collective breath as Rams signal-caller Matthew Stafford calmly drove Los Angeles to within striking distance for the win.
Denver’s defense would rise to the occasion with a pick to seal it, just as they had done earlier in the quarter when they returned a Stafford interception for a touchdown to give the Broncos their first lead of the game.
Nix was shaky for much of the first half, but, to his credit, he was able to shake off whatever rust seemed to be present after halftime, accounting for three touchdowns in the final two frames.
RAMS’ DISASTER IN AUSTRALIA RAISES THE QUESTION: SHOULD THE TEAM HAVE FOLLOWED THE 49ERS THERE EARLIER?
Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos looks to pass during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., on Sept. 27, 2026. (Getty Images)
For the Rams, they find themselves at 1-2 after this second-half collapse and staring up at their rivals, San Francisco, who sit atop the NFC West at 3-0.
It’s early, but LA can ill afford to fall behind any further, as the margin for error continues to shrink as the season matures.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS’ ROSTER CONCERNS LINGER AS THEY HOST THE DENVER BRONCOS ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Conversely, the Broncos get a massive win to keep pace in a surprisingly competitive AFC West.
Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos looks on during the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons in an NFL preseason game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Aug. 14, 2026, in Atlanta, Ga. (Getty Images)
With the Chiefs seemingly picking up where they left off after an uncharacteristically down 2025 and the upstart Las Vegas Raiders racing out to a 3-0 start, Denver needed this one to go their way.
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It wasn’t pretty, but a win’s a win in the NFL.
