The Broncos vs Cardinals final score settled at 30-16 on Sunday as Denver quarterback Bo Nix accounted for three touchdowns, including a 62-yard scoring run, to push the Broncos past Arizona at State Farm Stadium. Denver improved to 5-2 while the Cardinals fell to 2-5.
Nix finished 15 of 29 for 222 yards and a touchdown through the air, then added 73 yards and a score on just seven carries. The Broncos broke a 6-6 tie late in the second quarter when Nix broke loose for his 62-yard touchdown run with 3:43 left before halftime, a play that flipped momentum and set up a decisive second half. Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett countered with 272 yards and a touchdown on 27-of-48 passing, with tight end Trey McBride hauling in 10 catches for 111 yards and a score, but Arizona could never draw closer than seven points once Denver pulled away.
Key Moments And How Denver Won
Denver controlled the opening quarter behind two Wil Lutz field goals, a 48-yarder and a 43-yarder, to take a 6-0 lead. Arizona answered with a pair of Chad Ryland field goals in the second quarter to tie the score at 6-6 before Nix’s long touchdown run gave the Broncos a 13-6 lead at the break.
The third quarter belonged to Denver. RJ Harvey hauled in a 52-yard touchdown pass from Nix early in the period to push the lead to 20-6. McBride’s 7-yard touchdown catch pulled Arizona within 20-13, but J.K.
Dobbins answered with a 1-yard touchdown run as time expired in the third quarter, stretching Denver’s advantage to 27-13 heading into the fourth. Lutz added a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter for the final margin, with Ryland’s 41-yard field goal accounting for the last points of the game.
Top Performers
Nix led all players with three total touchdowns, two passing and rushing yards combined of 295. Harvey added 54 receiving yards on just two catches to go with his touchdown. Marvin Mims Jr. chipped in 53 receiving yards and 103 kick return yards on four returns. Linebacker Alex Singleton paced Denver’s defense with 19 tackles and a sack.
For Arizona, McBride’s 111-yard, one-touchdown performance on 10 catches led all receivers in the game. Bam Knight topped the Cardinals’ ground game with 48 yards on seven carries. Brissett threw for 272 yards but was sacked three times for 13 yards and could not overcome a 2-for-5 mark in the red zone.
What It Means
Denver’s win kept the Broncos in position behind Kansas City in the AFC West, with the Chiefs sitting at 5-0 and Denver at 5-2. The Broncos outgained Arizona 377-353 in total yards and posted a significantly better yards-per-play average, 6.7 to 4.7, despite running 19 fewer offensive plays. Arizona’s offense moved the chains with 24 first downs to Denver’s 18 but converted just 1 of 5 red zone trips into a touchdown, a inefficiency that proved costly against a Broncos defense that forced no turnovers but limited scoring chances when it mattered.
The loss dropped Arizona to 2-5 and last place in the NFC West, well behind division-leading San Francisco at 6-1. The Cardinals have now been outscored 208-142 on the season.
What’s Next
The Broncos will look to build on their 5-2 start as they continue AFC West play, while the Cardinals attempt to climb out of the NFC West basement. Denver’s performance this week followed a Week 7 matchup previewed by Total Apex Sports’ Broncos vs. Cardinals preview, which detailed the injury questions surrounding the Denver secondary.
Cornerback Pat Surtain II had been listed as doubtful heading into the game, while safety Talanoa Hufanga carried the same doubtful designation. Denver also continues to monitor its offensive line depth after guard Nick Gargiulo was ruled out for the contest.
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