After getting blanked in the first half, the Broncos put together a strong final 30 minutes, eventually hanging on to beat the Rams 30-26.
Down 16-0 at halftime, the Broncos stormed back with two touchdowns and two-point conversions to tie the game at 16-16 with 2:15 left in the third period.
But even as the Rams took a three-point lead with 8:40 left in the fourth quarter, the Broncos were able to take advantage of every Los Angeles mistake to win.
On third-and-6 from the Denver 38, quarterback Matthew Stafford was picked off by Talanoa Hufanga and returned for a 66-yard pick-six, giving the Broncos a 23-19 lead.
That pick-six was the 33rd of Stafford’s career, breaking a tie with Brett Favre for the most in league history.
But Stafford was able to shake it off, coming right back with a 48-yard touchdown pass to Konata Mumpfield to make the score 26-23 with 3:38 left.
Rams penalties allowed the Broncos to go up by the final margin with under 60 seconds in the fourth quarter. While it looked like Josh Wallace had made his second interception, a questionable defensive pass interference penalty wiped the pick off the board and kept Denver’s possession going. Reviewing the play, NBC analyst Terry McAuley noted that it looked like receiver Pat Bryant pulled Wallace down rather than Wallace interfering with the receiver.
An illegal hands to the face penalty gave the Broncos another first down at the 2-yard line.
A couple of plays later, Nix dove into the end zone for a 1-yard, go-ahead touchdown.
The Rams were in it until the end, getting deep into Denver territory to spike the ball and stop the clock with two seconds left. But Stafford’s pass from the 19 to Davante Adams was intercepted by Hufanga, ending the game.
Nix finished the contest 17-of-34 for 186 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Pat Bryant and Nate Adkins caught Nix’s TDs.
Stafford — who also became the first player in league history to throw for 20,000 yards for two teams in the first half — finished 30-of-55 for 390 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Adams registered seven receptions for 137 yards, recording back-to-back 100-yard games with the Rams for the first time.
In his second game back from retirement, Aaron Donald had just one tackle and one QB hit.
As a whole, the Rams had just one sack and three QB hits.
The Broncos’ defense was particularly active around Stafford in the second half, registering a total of 14 QB hits in the game and five sacks. The unit also registered eight tackles for loss.
Now at 2-1, the Broncos will be on the road to face the 3-0 49ers in Week 4.
The 1-2 Rams will travel across the country to play the Eagles next Sunday.
Broncos Clips
The Broncos were down 16-0 to the Rams at halftime.
With two touchdowns and two two-point conversions, it’s a brand new ballgame.
Bo Nix’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Nate Adkins and a two-point conversion to Pat Bryant, tied the game at 16-16 with 2:15 left in the third quarter.
Denver used a nice punt return to spark the offense for the team’s first points of the night. In his regular-season debut, rookie Kolbe Katsis put the Broncos on the Rams’ 42-yard line with a 28-yard punt return after the club went three-and-out.
The Broncos then converted four third downs, including a third-and-goal with Bo Nix’s 5-yard touchdown to Pat Bryant for the score. Nix connected with Jaylen Waddle in the back of the end zone for a successful two-point conversion.
Then a costly special teams mistake set the Broncos up for another score. Emmanuel Forbes was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for being pushed out of bounds while covering a punt and did not immediately return to the field of play. So instead of the Broncos having it backed up at their own 10-yard line, the Rams had to re-kick and Denver started at the Denver 48.
Jaylen Waddle put the Broncos in the red zone with a 14-yard end around. Then the Broncos got inside the 10 with a 12-yard pass from Nix to Tyler Badie.
On second-and-goal, Nix connected with Adkins who turned and walked into the end zone for the TD. Nix then hit Bryant with a jump ball to tie the game with a successful conversion.
Notably, Broncos running back RJ Harvey is being evaluated for a concussion.
The Rams have been in control throughout the first two quarters of Sunday night’s matchup with the Broncos and have a 16-0 lead at halftime.
Despite playing without Puka Nacua, Los Angeles has been efficient offensively, scoring on the last four possessions of the half. But three of those scores were field goals.
L.A. outgained Denver 273 to 67, had 17 first downs to Denver’s 5, and was 5-of-9 on third down while the Broncos were 2-of-6.
The Rams are averaging 5.9 yards per play.
Matthew Stafford is 19-of-32 for 190 yards with a touchdown. Kyren Williams has averaged 7.7 yards per carry, recording 69 yards on nine attempts. He’s also caught three passes for 33 yards — including a nice toe-tapping 18-yard reception on the left side.
Tyler Higbee caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Stafford, who became the first QB in NFL history to throw for 20,000 yards with two different teams in the second quarter.
Harrison Mevis connected on field goals of 36, 35, and 40 yards.
Davante Adams leads with four receptions for 71 yards.
Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson tried to play through an ankle injury, but it appears his day will be over after aggravating it in the second quarter. Cornerback Jaylen Watson also suffered a shoulder injury late in the second quarter and was carted back to the locker room. He is officially questionable to return.
On the other side, quarterback Bo Nix is 6-of-12 for 53 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. The Broncos have not been able to generate much offense through the run game either, as JK Dobbins leads with 9 yards on four carries.
Needing a spark, the Broncos will receive the second-half kickoff.
Matthew Stafford has reached another milestone in his storied career.
With a 15-yard pass to Konata Mumpfield in the second quarter, Matthew Stafford became the first quarterback in league history to throw for at least 20,000 yards with two different teams. After throwing for 45,109 in the regular season for the Lions, he’s now hit 20k — and counting — for the Rams in six seasons.
Stafford has started Sunday night’s game 15-of-25 for 143 yards with a touchdown and no picks.
He’s also had a 10-yard scramble.
With a pair of Harrison Mevis field goals in the second quarter, the Rams lead 13-0.
The Rams have taken an early 7-0 lead over the Broncos, but they are dealing with more injury issues.
Matthew Stafford connected with veteran tight end Tyler Higbee for a 5-yard touchdown to open the scoring with 4:55 left in the first quarter.
The TD capped an 11-play, 63-yard drive.
Davante Adams caught his first pass to begin Los Angeles’ second possession, connecting with Matthew Stafford for a 22-yard gain to quickly put the Rams in Denver territory.
Los Angeles kept the drive moving with a 6-yard completion to Kyren Williams to move the chains on fourth-and-4. The Broncos challenged the completion, but the ruling on the field was upheld for a first down at the Denver 29.
Stafford then kept the drive alive on third-and-7 with a 9-yard scramble down to the Denver 5.
A play later, Stafford hit Higbee for the score.
Earlier in the possession, Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson had to exit after an incompletion to him on third-and-4. Ferguson pulled up just before the ball could get to him. He was able to get off the field under his own power, but went back to the locker room for an X-ray, as noted by NBC’s Melissa Stark. Ferguson had been dealing with an ankle injury this week.
Fellow tight end Colby Parkinson also came off after an incompletion to him on first-and-goal from the 5-yard line.
The Rams are already thin in their receiving corps, as Puka Nacua is out with an injury. The team began the night using several multiple tight end sets.
Los Angeles dressed four receivers and five tight ends for Sunday’s game.
UPDATE 9:00 p.m. ET: Ferguson is questionable to return with an ankle injury.
UPDATE 9:15 p.m. ET: Both Ferguson and Parkinson have returned to the game for the Rams.
Both the Rams and Broncos will be without a key receiver on Sunday night in Week 3.
Denver’s Marvin Mims and Los Angeles’ Puka Nacua are both inactive for the matchup between the two clubs.
Mims is dealing with a foot injury. Nacua has a psoas injury, but could return soon.
Denver’s inactives are Mims, quarterback Sam Ehlinger, receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey, defensive lineman Sai’Vion Jones, offensive lineman Kage Casey, tight end Dallen Bentley, and defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim. Ehlinger is the emergency third quarterback.
For the Rams, Nacua, safety Kam Kinchens, receiver CJ Daniels, receiver, Tutu Atwell, quarterback Ty Simpson, safety Maximus Pulley, and offensive lineman Bill Murray. Simpson is Los Angeles’ emergency third quarterback.
As Rams receiver Puka Nacua potentially misses a second straight game due to a groin injury, questions linger regarding when he will return.
And it’s now impossible not to wonder whether the absence of a new contract is contributing to the situation.
Nacua is making $5.767 million in the final year of his rookie deal. Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who arrived in the NFL the same year as Nacua, has gotten his second deal, at $42.15 million per year. Yes, Nacua’s contract has been delayed by his off-field issues. But with no financial security beyond this year, Nacua surely doesn’t want to risk aggravating the injury and missing even more time. Likewise, he doesn’t want to perform in a way that will reduce the perception that he deserves to be paid among the best in the league at the position.
Those dynamics are lurking in the latest update from Adam Schefter of ESPN. He reports that Nacua “could return as soon as next week,” but that the groin issue has “impacted his explosiveness.”
The key observation is this — Nacua “functionally” can play, “but he has not felt like he can play with the same explosiveness he has had in the past.”
In other words, he doesn’t want to diminish his contract year by not playing with the characteristic explosiveness.
The team, per Schefter, doesn’t believe surgery will be needed, but it’s “not entirely off the table.”
It’s not a hold-in, per se. It’s apparently a real injury, which brings together a desire to not make it worse and a goal to play as well as he possibly can, when he plays.
Here’s the bottom line — Nacua quite possibly would be playing if he had his second deal and the security that goes along with it.
Broncos rookie running back Jonah Coleman scored his first NFL touchdown in Week 2, but he won’t have a chance to add to that total for a while.
The Broncos placed Coleman on injured reserve Saturday. He had been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Rams on Friday and will now have to miss at least four games.
Coleman was pressed into duty with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey sidelined last weekend, but both backs are set to play on Sunday night.
The Broncos signed long snapper Mitchell Fraboni to the 53-man roster in a corresponding move. Fullback Adam Prentice and wide receiver Kolbe Katsis have been elevated from the practice squad and will revert back after facing the Rams.
The NFL adopted a new policy regarding five player safety rules this offseason and the announcement of fines for Week 2 showed that there were three fouls in those categories.
Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was fined for a hip-drop tackle while Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton and Commanders defensive back Jeremy Reaves were fined for hits on defenseless players.
The new league policy calls for players to be suspended if they are guilty of three fouls of the same type in one season. The other fouls in the category are blindside blocks, launching and horse-collar tackles. Players can appeal the fines and they will receive half the fine amount back at the end of the season if they only commit one foul in a particular category.
There were also three qualifying fines in Week 1 and no player has picked up more than one fine through two weeks.
The Broncos have good news and bad news at running back on their final injury report ahead of Sunday night’s game against the Rams.
J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey are on the good news side. Dobbins (hip) and Harvey (hamstring) were both full practice participants the last two days and they do not have injury designations for Sunday. Harvey missed last Sunday’s win over Jacksonville and Dobbins was injured during the game.
The bad news involves rookie Jonah Coleman. He missed practice all week with an ankle injury and has been ruled out.
Wide receiver Marvin Mims (foot) was limited in practice and is questionable to play after missing last week’s win.
