On a hot and humid day, the Denver Broncos’ dominant defense cooled off the Buccaneers 26-7 while Bo Nix was in complete control. It was a much-needed victory for the Broncos to get into the win column and begin to reshape the 2024 season.
Bo Outduels Baker
For the first two weeks of the season, Nix looked like a rookie behind the Denver Broncos offensive line that was not playing well enough to keep Nix upright. Sunday afternoon, the offensive line did not give up one sack and spearheaded an improved rushing attack led by rookie Tyler Badie’s solid afternoon (9 carries for 70 yards).
Nix was 25/36 on the afternoon and looked like the poised and well-balanced quarterback that many expected him to be coming out of Oregon. With the necessary time and simplified personnel packages, Nix was able to read the Tampa defense and find multiple receivers throughout the game. Courtland Sutton led all receivers with 7 catches for 68 yards. Josh Reynolds also contributed with a couple of solid chunk plays that led to sustained drives and ball control, which the Broncos were lacking in the first two weeks.
Mayfield had been playing the best football of his career at the start of the 2024 season. The Denver Broncos defense harassed Mayfield and swarmed their star receivers, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Mayfield was limited to 163 passing yards and a critical interception. The Broncos’ defense was relentless in pursuit of Mayfield as they generated 7 total sacks. Dondrea Tillman led the team with 2 sacks and never allowed Mayfield to find any sense of comfort.
Run Away
Don’t look now, but the Denver Broncos may have found a running back that can threaten opposing defenses. For the last few years, the Denver Broncos have not been able to generate an attack that would cause fear in the eyes of a defense. On Sunday afternoon, the 5-foot-8, 197lb running back out of Missouri has shown flashes of brilliance. In a loss to Pittsburgh in week 2, Badie had a breakout run of 16 yards but never touched the ball again. On Sunday in Tampa, Badie had an enormous run of 43 yards, and Head Coach Sean Payton kept giving him the ball. He did not disappoint, as he totaled 70 yards in the afternoon.
In week 3, the Denver Broncos offense ran away with the game with an aggressive and efficient game plan. “Broncos Country” was beginning to wonder if Payton had been outpaced by the NFL, and, at least for this week, the answer was clearly no. Coach Payton said after the game in his post-game press conference when asked about Bo Nix’s confidence: “I haven’t seen him flinch.”
What’s Next
The Denver Broncos will remain on the East Coast and head to West Virginia to prepare for their game against the New York Jets on Sunday. Payton said that it would be a normal week of work for the team, just in another part of the country.
The Denver Broncos defense will be tested by the Quarterback, Aaron Rogers, and former Broncos Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett. If the Broncos’ defense continues to play lights out and Nix continues to show improvement and poise, the Broncos will have an excellent chance of grounding the Jets next week.
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