Nov 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) talks with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Elusive playoff berth at stake as Broncos host Chiefs

Bo Nix was in high school the last time the Denver Broncos qualified for the playoffs.

Should the rookie quarterback snap his team’s two-game losing streak on Sunday against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs (15-1), Denver would clinch the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoffs.

It would be the first playoff berth for the Broncos since they won Super Bowl 50 during the 2015 season.

Nix has thrown for 3,454 yards and completed 65.1 percent of his passes with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Even though the Miami Dolphins (8-8) and Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) are next in line should the Broncos slip up against the Chiefs, Nix insisted he doesn’t feel any stress.

“I think this lifestyle, the situation as quarterbacks, we live with pressure, it’s second nature at this point,” Nix said. “I believe pressure is a privilege and I was taught that a long time ago.”

Because the Chiefs already wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye in the playoffs with a 29-10 Christmas win at the Pittsburgh Steelers, starting quarterback and three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes won’t play.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Carson Wentz will start at quarterback and a number of other starters will sit out or see limited action. The Chiefs want to be well rested as they attempt to become the first team to win a third straight Super Bowl.

Regardless of which players see the field, Denver coach Sean Payton said roster limits mean the Broncos will still be challenged.

“Our focus has got to be on this team in general,” said Payton, whose team lost 16-14 at Kansas City in Week 10. “There will be some different people in different places, I’m sure. But this is not like college. We don’t have a roster of 105 players.”

Competing against the Kansas City defense in practice has prepared Wentz. The Chiefs own the No. 2 scoring defense in the NFL, allowing 18.0 points per game. The Broncos check in fifth at 19.4 points per game.

Denver linebacker Nik Bonitto is tied for fourth in the league with 11.5 sacks and Patrick Surtain II is the top-ranked cornerback by Pro Football Focus.

With just nine snaps this season, Wentz has is 2-of-2 passing for 20 yards. The former Pro Bowl selection’s journey through the league has resulted in a 47-45-1 record as a starter with the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Rams.

“I want to have fun, play well and have success out there,” Wentz said. “Ultimately, more than anything, let’s get a win, that’s the goal. We know the circumstances and the reason I am playing but I still go out there and expect to win.”

Due to the rest players have received in previous playoff runs, Reid isn’t worried about his team getting rusty in the 23 or 24 days off before the Jan. 18-19 AFC divisional round. He said it was an easy decision, but also added it’s important for the team to “stay sharp in all areas.”

Running back Isiah Pacheco (rib), defensive tackle Chris Jones (calf) and right tackle Jawaan Taylor (knee) did not practice on Wednesday for the Chiefs, who opened the 21-day practice window for wide receiver Mecole Hardman. Reid said he “wouldn’t count on him playing Sunday.”

Reserve offensive lineman Frank Crum (illness) did not practice for the Broncos on Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

Dec 28, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a pass for a touchdown against Denver Broncos cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian (29) in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Bengals keep playoff hopes alive, survive in OT vs. Broncos

Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes to Tee Higgins, including a game-winning scoring strike with 1:07 left in overtime, to give the host Cincinnati Bengals an electrifying 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday.

Cade York could have given Cincinnati (8-8) the win with 2:43 to go in the extra session, but his 33-yard field-goal attempt hit the left upright. The Bengals’ defense buckled down, though, forcing Denver to go three-and-out to get Burrow, Higgins and the rest of the offense back out on the field.

Cincinnati proceeded to go 63 yards in five plays, with Higgins’ 3-yard TD catch giving the Bengals their fourth straight victory. Higgins finished with 11 catches for 131 yards.

Marvin Mims Jr. forced overtime by hauling in a 25-yard score on fourth-and-1 to draw the Broncos (9-7) even at 24 with eight seconds left in regulation. Burrow had put Cincinnati in front by plunging into the end zone from 1 yard out just 1:21 earlier.

Burrow completed 39 of 49 passes for 412 yards and the three touchdowns while Ja’Marr Chase had nine catches for 102 yards and set a single-season franchise record for receptions. He now has 117. Tight end Mike Gesicki played a key role in the Cincinnati passing game, grabbing a season-high 10 catches for 86 yards.

The Bengals kept their playoff hopes alive, but they must beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 while also getting losses from the Broncos, Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts.

Mims was rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s favorite target, recording 103 yards and a pair of scores on eight receptions. Nix went 24-for-31 passing for 219 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Denver is still in search of a wild-card spot and can lock one down with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 5.

Wil Lutz booted a 30-yard field goal to open the scoring and give the Broncos a 3-0 lead. The first Burrow-to-Higgins TD — a 2-yard connection — put the hosts up 7-3 with 1:49 to go in the first half, and that advantage held until the break.

A 22-yard field goal from York made it 10-3 with 9:07 remaining in the third quarter.

Nix found Courtland Sutton for a 6-yard touchdown to tie things at 10. The teams then traded fourth-quarter TDs, with Higgins snatching a 12-yard scoring pass and Mims ending up on the receiving end of a 51-yard strike.

–Field Level Media

Oct 27, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles (72) following the win against the Carolina Panthers  at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Broncos LT Garett Bolles agrees to 4-year extension

Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles has agreed to a four-year contract extension, the veteran announced Thursday.

Bolles, 32, divulged the deal with a post on social media, including the hashtags “BroncoForLife” and “4More.”

“Broncos Country, it’s been a great 8 years. Thanks for everything! And … I’m not leaving. The show goes on!” he posted on X.

NFL Network reported the deal was for $82 million and included $42 million guaranteed, locking in the guardian of quarterback Bo Nix’s blind side.

A first-round pick (20th overall) by Denver in 2017, Bolles has started 13 games this season and all 112 of his games over the past eight seasons.

Bolles is in the final weeks of a four-year, $68 million extension he signed in November 2020. He was due to become a free agent after the season.

–Field Level Media

Nov 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) talks with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Broncos’ Sean Payton on blocked FG: ‘They exploited an area’

While still stewing in disappointment one day later, the Denver Broncos are looking at the blocked field-goal attempt that would have finished off a victory over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs as a chance to make the team better.

Broncos kicker Wil Lutz lined up for a 35-yard field-goal attempt Sunday as time was set to expire, but the attempt was blocked by the Chiefs’ Leo Chenal, who charged right through the middle of the Denver line.

The undefeated Chiefs escaped with a 16-14 victory, leaving the Broncos at a crossroad with a 5-5 record.

“They exploited an area that we obviously felt was fixed and stronger, but not fixed enough,” Payton said Monday. “I read all the comments afterwards, and I think that it’s tough to lose a game that way. This isn’t on the player. This is on all of us. This is on us as coaches.

“We’ve got to continue to look at, ‘Hey, are we big enough stature-wise there for that?’ And understanding how the rush was coming. It’s disappointing.”

Payton clarified the area that was exploited.

“They felt like they had an indication relative to how (center Alex Forsyth’s) weight was balanced,” Payton said. “All of that is game planning, scouting and then it’s us coaching and looking at the self-scout. Again, it’s nothing new.”

The Broncos are merely third in the AFC West, but with the conference’s muddled postseason picture, Denver is currently in possession of the seventh and final playoff spot. The Broncos are listed with a 51 percent playoff probability.

And while Sunday ended in a heartbreaking defeat, the Broncos can also look at it as a near miss, on the road against an undefeated team that also won the last two Super Bowls.

“The sky is not falling,” Payton said. “There’s a lot ahead obviously.”

Of the seven games still on the schedule, the Broncos face four teams currently out of the AFC’s playoff picture. But they have still have to face the 6-4 Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and finish the regular season with a rematch against the Chiefs. The advantage for Denver is that both of those games are at home.

“I like the leadership on this team. It’s an entirely different team than a year ago,” Payton said. “It’s (a) tough (team) mentally and physically. … Listen, when you talk to the players about that (loss), you tell them, ‘Hey, that’s going to happen periodically in your career.’

“You hope that you have a few of those games that maybe you thought that you didn’t deserve to win that you did win. You have to bounce back either way.”

That optimism is further fueled by the play of rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who has completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 1,968 yards and 10 touchdowns with six interceptions. He also has 290 yards rushing with four more TDs.

“Offensively, we played that team better than we have in the past with what they do,” Payton said. “We had some scoring opportunities certainly at the end of the (first) half that we didn’t take a good enough advantage of.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) scores a touchdown as Denver Broncos safety Brandon Jones (22) looks on  during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Chiefs remain unbeaten by sneaking past Broncos

Harrison Butker kicked three field goals, including a go-ahead 20-yarder with 5:57 left, and Leo Chenal blocked a 35-yard field goal as time expired as the host Kansas City Chiefs rallied to defeat the Denver Broncos 16-14 on Sunday to remain unbeaten.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 266 yards and a touchdown for the Chiefs (9-0), who exhaled after a late blunder put them in a precarious position.

Butker, who also connected on field goals of 36 and 28 yards, sent the kickoff after his final make of the afternoon out of bounds, giving the Broncos the ball at their own 40-yard line.

Denver (5-5) capitalized on favorable field position and was set up for a chip shot to win the game, but Chenal and the special teams preserved the victory by blocking Wil Lutz’s field-goal attempt.

A defensive turnaround spurred the Chiefs and helped offset inconsistency in the red zone. After allowing 192 yards in the first half, Kansas City yielded just 68 yards in the second half.

Denver took a 14-10 lead into halftime, moving the ball quickly and effectively during a pair of second-quarter touchdown drives.

Bo Nix, who was 14-for-20 passing for 160 yards in the first half, ended both possessions with touchdown passes, connecting with Devaughn Vele for 6 yards and with Courtland Sutton for 32.

Nix finished 22 of 30 for 215 yards. Audric Estime gained 53 yards on 14 carries and Sutton had six caches for 70 yards.

Sutton’s TD with 6:39 to go in the second quarter put the Broncos ahead 14-3, marking the largest deficit the Chiefs have faced during their 15-game winning streak that includes the postseason.

KC responded with a 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 2-yard scoring pass from Mahomes to Travis Kelce, who had eight catches for 64 yards.

Kareem Hunt had 100 yards of total offense for the Chiefs, including 65 yards on seven catches.

Attempting to match a career long with a 60-yard field goal in the closing moments of the first half, Lutz was well short. Mecole Hardman retrieved the attempt deep in the end zone and returned it 57 yards to the Chiefs 48 as time expired.

Denver finished with four sacks.

Chiefs left tackle Wanya Morris left the game with a knee injury in the second half but returned in the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Sep 8, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper (0) celebrates following a sack against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Broncos extend Jonathon Cooper, trade Baron Browning to Cardinals

The Denver Broncos signed linebacker Jonathon Cooper to a four-year contract extension Monday, while trading linebacker Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals for a future sixth-round draft pick, multiple outlets reported.

Cooper, 26, earned his reward for his 14 sacks and 107 tackles in the past 1 1/2 seasons. In four total NFL seasons with the Broncos, Cooper has 193 tackles and 18.5 sacks in 56 games (40 starts).

Browning, 25, had seven tackles in five games (two starts) this season and has 114 career tackles and 9.5 sacks in 43 games (28 starts), all with the Broncos over the past four seasons.

The moves came just after Broncos head coach Sean Payton said he is content with the personnel on hand, even after his team was overwhelmed by the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday with a matchup upcoming against the rival Kansas City Chiefs this week.

With 24 hours remaining until the trade deadline, Payton is taking a realistic approach to the potential for roster reinforcements.

“Superman’s not walking in,” he said.

The Broncos are in the midst of a revival after not finishing above .500 in any of the previous seven seasons. Denver is 5-4 and entered Sunday’s 41-10 road loss with five victories in six games after dropping the first two contests on the schedule.

Rookie Bo Nix has delivered a solid rookie season, completing 62.6 percent of his passes for 1,753 yards and eight touchdowns with six interceptions. The No. 12 overall selection in April’s NFL draft also has rushed for 295 yards and four TDs.

Even though roster moves already have begun, Payton will keep his focus on matters under his control.

“The next 24 hours for me will be just like last Monday, or the following Monday or the Monday prior,” Payton said. “It’s going to be putting to bed the game we just played and then the preparation begins on Kansas City.”

Areas Payton would like to see addressed, and not necessarily on the trade market, are defending the run and winning the turnover battle.

“We’re minus-one right now in the turnover battle,” Payton said. “If we’re having that discussion towards the end of the season, that’s not going to be good. So that has to be something in our favor.”

On defense, Denver has allowed 978 rushing yards this season, making them one of 11 teams not to allow 1,000 yards. The team’s six rushing TDs allowed are tied for seventh-best in the league.

“If we’re having problems defending the run, or we’re having problems (to) play it on our terms, I think it’s going to be challenging for us to accomplish our goals,” Payton said.

–Field Level Media