The Denver Broncos are officially winners of nine straight. But the AFC West front-runners needed every ounce of effort -- and even some extra time on the game clock -- to outlast the Washington Commanders on Sunday night. Continuing a wild day of Week 13 matchups, this one featured a gutsy performance from Washington's Marcus Mariota, who made a third straight start in place of injured quarterback Jayden Daniels. But it ended with a last-gasp defensive stand by Nik Bonitto and the Broncos, who left Landover, Maryland, with a 27-26 overtime victory.
Streaky throughout the contest, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had a fourth quarter to forget, breaking a trend of late-game magic ... until, of course, he rediscovered his crunch-time flair in overtime, finding Evan Engram for a big gain that helped set up RJ Harvey's second score of the night. Mariota matched, or maybe even exceeded, Nix's playmaking with his own finish, driving Washington all the way into the end zone in the final minutes of the extra frame, only to have Bonitto deflect his pass to a wide-open Jeremy McNichols on coach Dan Quinn's 2-point attempt.
The failed conversion, which would've clinched a major prime-time upset for the slumping Commanders, marred an otherwise valiant effort from Mariota, who finished with nearly 350 total yards against one of the NFL's top defenses. It also confirmed the Broncos (10-2) as the class of the AFC West, at least on paper.
Here are some big-picture takeaways from Denver's tight win on Sunday night:
The defining play was the last, with Bonitto perfectly timing a leap to deflect Mariota's throw:
But there was no shortage of other highlights in this one, which started slow but finished with theatrics. The best of them all? Probably the ridiculous one-handed score by ex-Tennessee Titans castoff Treylon Burks, whose only reception of the matchup had shades of Odell Beckham Jr.'s famous snag:
At least for their effort in this one. Plenty of folks leading Washington's charge have gotten plenty of heat lately, from Dan Quinn, the man tasked with readying a slumping lineup; to Adam Peters, the man responsible for building such an old, banged-up roster. But Sunday night brought a different kind of fight from the Commanders, who had no business taking a first-place team with a top-tier defense to the very brink of overtime. Mariota, in particular, was incredibly poised as the game wore on, showcasing pristine chemistry with all three of his top targets -- Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and Zach Ertz -- after plenty of justified debate about his ability to drive the ball as a passer in place of the recovering Daniels. Washington may be out of the mix for meaningful winter football games, but perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to call them hapless near the bottom of the standings.
There are two ways to paint Denver's performance: 1.) Nine straight is nine straight, and once again, Nix and the Vance Joseph-led defense came up big when they were needed most, so all is well in Mile High; or 2.) The Broncos cannot reasonably expect to play like this -- sneaking by foes small and large with last-second effort -- and parlay a pretty regular-season record into legitimate postseason success. Yes, they're resilient. Yes, Nix proved at various points against Washington he can turn in top 10-level darts under pressure. Yes, Denver's vaunted "D" was just getting pillars like Alex Singleton and Patrick Surtain II back on their feet. But the Broncos were up against a so-so backup quarterback, and they barely survived. Their last four wins have come by a combined 10 points! The grit should be admired. But color us a bit concerned about their January prospects.
Denver (10-2) will hit the road for a divisional showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders (2-10), who are coming apart at the seams after another listless offensive showing, which came after coach Pete Carroll's abrupt dismissal of coordinator Chip Kelly. The Commanders (3-9) will also take to the road for a Week 14 date with the Minnesota Vikings (4-8), who just got crushed by the Seattle Seahawks while starting undrafted rookie Max Brosmer in place of the injured J.J. McCarthy at quarterback.
Marcus Mariota zips one to Terry McLaurin on fourth-and-goal for the score, pulling Washington within one with under three minutes to play in overtime. Then Dan Quinn dials up the two-point try to go for the win, and Mariota has his pass to a wide-open Jeremy McNichols deflected by Nik Bonitto. Denver survives!
First the Broncos are robbed of a game-sealing pick when Talanoa Hufanga is properly called for defensive pass interference, running into Jeremy McNichols too early as Marcus Mariota miraculously avoids a couple of pass rushers to get the ball off. Then Mariota is robbed of a picture-perfect touchdown lob to Terry McLaurin when Josh Conerly Jr. is flagged for holding Nik Bonitto. And then Mariota comes right back and launches a perfect shot to Deebo Samuel, putting Washington at Denver's 1-yard line in the final minutes of OT!
Holy smokes! Denver's tight end slips across the middle and rumbles his way deep into Commanders territory, where RJ Harvey logs his second score of the day to give the Broncos another lead:
Well, we've got extra football! Marcus Mariota puts on his hero hat and drives Washington 71 yards over 18 plays to set up Moody's game-tying 32-yard field goal. What a showing from the fill-in quarterback, who once again finds Zach Ertz on a critical down -- this time a fourth-and-6 spot with less than a minute to play -- and uses his own legs to move the chains as well.
Mariota looks deep to Zach Ertz, who's already got seven catches to lead the Commanders, for a would-be monster gain on third-and-long, but Singleton extends himself for a last-second breakup. Huge play by Denver's linebacker:
Washington plays it somewhat safe after stealing a possession via Nix's interception, with Marcus Mariota sticking to short throws on early downs, so Jake Moody comes on for a 38-yard field goal to make this a three-point ballgame. Credit Dan Quinn's defense for sticking this one out, and also Mariota for keeping the Commanders competitive. Zach Ertz (7 catches, 75 yards) has been active as his safety valve, still going strong as a possession target at age 35.
Uh-oh! Nix double-clutches in the face of delayed pressure from Jacob Martin, then rifles one over the middle ... and right into the arms of Wagner, who was apparently invisible to the Broncos quarterback:
Bo Nix is settling in now. The quarterback buys some time in the pocket to find Courtland Sutton deep, hitting his top wideout for 31 yards after Washington leaves a glaring opening downfield. Then Harvey finishes the drive by finding paydirt:
Burks, who just joined the Commanders in mid-October after a tumultuous three seasons with the Titans, has Washington in front of the Broncos after one of the best prime-time receptions of the year:
No. Way. Marcus Mariota lofts one to the back corner of the end zone after a couple of Zach Ertz catches put Washington in scoring range, and Burks comes down with easily the most impressive catch of his NFL career ... and perhaps the finest of this season. In a near-replica of the famous Odell Beckham Jr. grab, the ex-Titans castoff extends with one arm and brings it in securely.
Washington did a fine job moving the ball against Denver's tough defense in the first half, totaling 76 rushing yards between five different ball carriers, but the Broncos finished stronger, reaching the red zone three times and finally getting over the hump thanks to Bo Nix's play-extending mobility. If Denver can unlock ground support for Nix in the second half, Washington will be in trouble. Marcus Mariota has been solid for the most part in place of the injured Jayden Daniels, although his one forced throw -- the pick -- was costly.
How about this for a highlight reel? After failing to make magic on Denver's last red-zone trip, Nix barely eludes a sack this time around, flinging it into the end zone for the Broncos' first touchdown of the night:
Washington is on the board! Chris Rodriguez explodes up the gut for a bruising score, capping a 70-yard drive that also featured a nice loft from Marcus Mariota to Zach Ertz. The underrated catalyst of the touchdown drive: a critical penalty by Denver pass rusher Nik Bonitto, who pulled lineman Tyler Biadasz away from a Broncos teammate after the whistle, only to get shoved by Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil. There's a case to be made Tunsil also deserved a flag, but it's a moot point now.
The Broncos drive all the way to the Commanders' 10-yard line but have to settle for another short Wil Lutz field goal after Bo Nix can't find anyone open on third-and-8. Nix pleads with the officials to consider a penalty on Frankie Luvu for helmet-to-helmet contact after the linebacker strikes the quarterback's helmet, but the contact was so quick, almost simultaneous to Nix flicking the ball out of his grasp to avoid a sack, that the would-be infraction goes uncalled. It's 6-0 in favor of the visitors.
The Commanders march down the field thanks largely to a shifty extra-effort run from Jeremy McNichols, but then Mariota takes a crushing blow to the midsection while unloading a ball into traffic, and Denver gets its first takeaway:
Denver goes 59 yards over the course of 4:32 to go up 3-0 on a Wil Lutz field goal. Another erratic passing stretch for Bo Nix, who hits just 3 of his first 7 passes, but the run game is already taking advantage of Washington's struggling "D," with RJ Harvey averaging more than 5 yards per carry on the opening drive. Let's see how Marcus Mariota responds for the Commanders.
The most notable omission on Denver's inactives list is probably Singleton, the club's leading tackler, who is making his return just over three weeks after undergoing surgery for testicular cancer. Also active for the Broncos defense: top cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who sat out the team's Week 12 win over the Chiefs due to injury.
As expected, Marcus Mariota gets the nod as Washington's fill-in quarterback for the third straight week:
The SportsLine Projection Model envisions a big night for Denver's top wideout:
The Broncos have been involved in plenty of close battles this season, as only two of their 11 contests have been decided by more than eight points. Their five games away from Empower Field at Mile High, including one against the New York Jets in London, were decided by a total of 13 points. ... [Still,] SportsLine prop expert PropBetGuy believes Courtland Sutton will be productive in Denver's aerial attack since Washington has been torched by receivers out wide this year.
Expert bet: Over 47.5 receiving yards for Courtland Sutton (-114)
From CBS Sports' betting preview, featuring SportsLine simulation data:
Denver has covered in three of its last four and is 5-3 ATS during its eight-game win streak. That contrasts with Washington, which has not only lost six in a row straight up, but ... [also] versus the spread. The Broncos possess an elite defense, leading the NFL in sacks [and] allowing the fewest passing touchdowns, [while also] holding opponents to a league-low in yards per rush. The defense [should get] another boost with cornerback Patrick Surtain II (pectoral) cleared to play. At the other end of the spectrum is Washington's defense, which has bottom-five rankings in points allowed, yards allowed and turnovers forced. Washington has allowed an average of 34 points over its last five games, while the Broncos haven't given up 34 points in any game this season.
Washington may be without Jayden Daniels, but the quarterback's top target figures to be a full go for the first time since Week 8, with coach Dan Quinn telling reporters ahead of Sunday night's game McLaurin (quad) is on track to suit up.
