Schedule Note: Intra-division opponents are in
bold text.
Game summaries Week 1: at Seattle Seahawks For the second time in three seasons, the Broncos kicked off their season on the road against the
Seattle Seahawks. The Broncos' defense forced an interception off Seahawks' quarterback
Geno Smith on the game's opening possession; however, the Broncos were forced to settle for a 35-yard field goal by placekicker
Wil Lutz. The Seahawks responded near the end of the second quarter, with a 50-yard field goal by placekicker
Jason Myers. Early in the second quarter, the Broncos' offense reached the Seahawks's 21-yard line on their next possession; however, rookie quarterback
Bo Nix, the team's first-round
draft selection, was intercepted by
Julian Love at the 1-yard line. On the Seahawks' next play from scrimmage, guard
Anthony Bradford was penalized for offensive holding in the end zone for a safety. For a second time, the Broncos advanced deep into Seahawks' territory, but were once again forced to settle another short field goal by Lutz—from 30 yards out. The Seahawks took a 9–8 lead, with Smith rushing for a 34-yard touchdown, with an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt. The Broncos went three-and-out, and punter
Riley Dixon pinned the Seahawks back to their own 1-yard line, with a 65-yard punt. The Broncos' defense recorded their second safety of the second quarter, with defensive end
Zach Allen and linebacker
Jonathon Cooper tackling Seahawks' running back
Zach Charbonnet in the end zone. Following an exchange of punts, Lutz added a 45-yard field goal to give the Broncos a 13–9 lead at halftime. After the Broncos went three-and-out to start the second half, the Seahawks reeled off 17 unanswered points. First, running back
Kenneth Walker III ran up the middle for a 23-yard touchdown. After Broncos' running back
Jaleel McLaughlin lost a fumble near midfield, Myers added a 28-yard field goal. After another three-and-out by the Broncos' offense, Smith connected with Charbonnet on a 30-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving the Seahawks a 26–13 lead. With 5:37 left in the fourth quarter, Nix was intercepted by
Tariq Woolen near midfield. After forcing a Seahawks' punt, the Broncos finally reached the end zone, with Nix scrambling for a 4-yard touchdown run with 2:17 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, the Broncos were unable to prevent the Seahawks from running out the clock, as Smith completed a game-clinching 9-yard pass to wide receiver
Tyler Lockett on a 3rd-and-6. In his NFL debut, Nix completed 26 passed in 42 attempts for 138 yards, but the Broncos' offense went 5-for-18 on third down and struggled against the Seahawks' defense.
Week 3: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Broncos jumped out to a 17–0 lead over the
Buccaneers, with a pair of rushing touchdowns—a 3-yarder by quarterback
Bo Nix, followed by a 1-yarder by running back
Jaleel McLaughlin and a 43-yard field goal by placekicker
Wil Lutz in the second quarter. The latter touchdown occurred after an interception of Buccaneers' quarterback
Baker Mayfield. Following a fumble by Broncos' running back
Javonte Williams, Mayfield got the Buccaneers on the scoreboard, with a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Chris Godwin just after the two-minute warning. The Broncos' defense held the Buccaneers scoreless for the remainder of the game, and in the process, sacking Mayfield seven times. Lutz added three more field goals—one just before halftime and two in the fourth quarter.
Week 4: at New York Jets A scoreless first quarter in rainy conditions featured a defensive struggle, including a forced fumble off
Jets' running back
Garrett Wilson by the Broncos' defense at the Jets' 30-yard line. However, the Broncos were unable to take advantage of the turnover on their first possession as the result of an offensive pass interference penalty and a loss of 4 yards. The Broncos' offense went three-and-out on three of their next four possessions, and did not earn their first first-down until the 10:15 mark of the second quarter. Two field goals by Jets' placekicker
Greg Zuerlein—a 23-yarder at the beginning of the second quarter and a 35-yarder at the end of the first half—gave the Jets a 6–0 halftime lead. The first field goal occurred after a lost fumble by Broncos' running back
Tyler Badie and a false start penalty after the Jets had a 4th-and-goal at the 1-yard line. By halftime, Broncos' quarterback
Bo Nix had –7 yards on 15 pass attempts. Following an exchange of punts to start the second half, Nix finally threw his first touchdown pass of the season—an 8-yarder to wide receiver
Courtland Sutton in the back of the end zone. The Jets retook the lead on their next possession, with Zuerlein's third field goal of the game—a 40-yarder early in the fourth quarter. The Broncos responded, with a 47-yard field goal by placekicker
Wil Lutz at the 8:59 mark of the fourth quarter. Following another exchange of punts, the Jets were attempting to take the lead just after the two-minute warning, and faced a 4th-and-10 at their own 45-yard line. However, quarterback
Aaron Rodgers was sacked for a 10-yard loss—one of five sacks by the Broncos' defense. The Broncos had a chance to run out the clock; however, after gaining only three yards, Lutz missed wide-right on a 50-yard field goal that would have forced the Jets to score a touchdown. With 1:27 remaining in the game, the Jets' final possession of the game started at their own 40-yard line. Five plays later, Zuerlein had an opportunity for a 50-yard, game-winning field goal; however, like Lutz, Zuerlein's 50-yard field goal attempt also missed wide-right, sealing the win for the Broncos. The
Raiders took a 10–0 lead in the first quarter, with quarterback
Gardner Minshew connecting with tight end
Brock Bowers on a 57-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 40-yard field goal by placekicker
Daniel Carlson. After a 51-yard field goal by placekicker
Wil Lutz got the Broncos on the scoreboard early in the second quarter, the Raiders marched down the field, and were threatening to add to their lead, with a first-and-goal at the 5-yard line. However, Broncos' cornerback
Patrick Surtain II changed the momentum of the game, with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown off Minshew. After both teams exchange punts, a 44-yard field goal by Lutz just before halftime gave the Broncos the lead for good, and in the second half, quarterback
Bo Nix accounted for three touchdowns— two passing, and another on a 1-yard sneak—capping off 34 unanswered points by the Broncos. It was the most points that the Broncos scored in a single game since
2021. The Raiders attempted a rally, with a 3-yard touchdown run by running back
Ameer Abdullah (with a successful two-point conversion) with four minutes remaining in the game, but the Broncos' lead was too much for the Raiders to overcome. With the win, the Broncos snapped an 8-game losing streak against the Raiders. In addition, Nix became the first rookie quarterback in franchise history to win three consecutive games.
Week 6: vs. Los Angeles Chargers Throughout the first three quarters, the
Chargers built a 23–0 lead and dominated the time of possession by a 2-to-1 ratio over the Broncos. The Chargers converted two Broncos' turnovers—an interception off Broncos' quarterback
Bo Nix and a fumble by running back
Javonte Williams—into 10 points. Broncos' cornerback
Patrick Surtain II left the game after suffering a concussion on the first defensive play from scrimmage, and the defense was unable to get off the field, surrendering three field goals by Chargers' placekicker
Cameron Dicker and two touchdowns—a 38-yard pass from quarterback
Justin Herbert to wide receiver
Kimani Vidal and a 4-yard rush by running back
J. K. Dobbins. In addition, the Broncos did not force a Chargers' punt until the initial possession of the second half and were booed off at halftime. The Broncos' offense struggled against the Chargers' defense, failing to advance past midfield on seven of their first eight possessions. The Broncos' best offensive play—a 46-yard pass completion from Nix to wide receiver
Courtland Sutton to the Chargers' 16-yard line just before halftime—was negated by an offensive holding penalty on guard
Quinn Meinerz. The Broncos' finally got on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter, with Nix connecting on a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Troy Franklin in the back of the end zone. After forcing a Chargers' punt, Nix threw his next touchdown pass—a 15-yarder to Sutton in the back of the end zone. However, the two-point conversion attempt, which would have pulled the Broncos to within a one-score deficit, was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 23–13 at the 5:27 mark of the fourth quarter. After forcing one more Chargers' punt, and without any timeouts, the Broncos narrowed the Chargers' lead to 23–16, with a 40-yard field goal by placekicker
Wil Lutz. However, the onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, ending the Broncos' rally attempt. In addition, Payton became the 8th head coach to win a game against all 32 NFL teams.
Week 8: vs. Carolina Panthers After losing a fumble on the game's opening possession, the Broncos spotted the
Panthers an early 7–0 lead, with a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback
Bryce Young to wide receiver
Xavier Legette. The Broncos responded with three touchdowns in the second quarter. Quarterback
Bo Nix connected on a pair of touchdown passes—3- and 19-yarders to tight ends
Nate Adkins and
Adam Trautman—and scored another on a 1-yard sneak just before halftime. After a Panthers' fake punt attempt went awry midway through the third quarter, Nix threw his third touchdown pass of the game—a 9-yarder to running back
Jaleel McLaughlin. The Broncos' defensive secondary intercepted two passes by Young deep in Broncos' territory—one by cornerback
Patrick Surtain II late in the third quarter, and the other by cornerback
Ja'Quan McMillian midway through the fourth quarter. After the Broncos' lost a fumble deep in Panthers' territory just before the two-minute warning, the Panthers scored a late touchdown with only 23 seconds left in the game—a 15-yard pass from Young to wide receiver
Jalen Coker. However, the game had already been decided in the Broncos' favor. Wide receiver
Courtland Sutton recorded his first 100+ yard receiving game since Week 2 of the
2022 season.
Nik Bonitto earned a
sack to extend his streak of consecutive games with a sack to six, tying
Von Miller's streak in
2018.
Week 9: at Baltimore Ravens The
Ravens took advantage of two Broncos' turnovers on downs, with a 7-yard touchdown run by running back
Derrick Henry, followed in the second quarter by a 33-yard field goal by placekicker
Justin Tucker. The Broncos got on the scoreboard midway through the second quarter, with quarterback
Bo Nix receiving a 2-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver
Courtland Sutton on a
Philly Special pass play. The Ravens responded, with quarterback
Lamar Jackson throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Zay Flowers. After a 9-yard touchdown scramble by Nix was nullified by an offensive holding penalty on tackle
Garett Bolles, the Broncos were forced to settle for a 37-yard field goal by placekicker
Wil Lutz to narrow the Ravens' lead to 17–10. However, the Broncos were held scoreless for the remainder of the game, and the Ravens pulled away. Jackson connected on two more touchdown passes, Henry rushed for another, and Tucker added another field goal for a 41–10 Ravens' win. With the loss, the Broncos dropped to 1–8 all-time in Baltimore, including the postseason.
Week 10: at Kansas City Chiefs The Broncos took a 14–3 lead into the second quarter; however, they were held scoreless for the remainder of the game, allowing the
Chiefs to come back. After Chiefs' quarterback
Patrick Mahomes led a 70-yard touchdown drive, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Travis Kelce, Broncos' placekicker
Wil Lutz missed short on a 60-yard field goal attempt before halftime. Two field goals from placekicker
Harrison Butker—one apiece in the third and fourth quarters—allowed the Chiefs to take a 16–14 lead with 5:57 remaining in the game. The Broncos drove to the Chiefs' 18-yard line; however, Lutz's 35-yard field goal attempt was blocked as time expired, securing the win for the Chiefs.
Week 11: vs. Atlanta Falcons Broncos' quarterback
Bo Nix threw four touchdown passes, and running back
Javonte Williams rushed for another touchdown, in a 38–6 rout of the
Falcons. After yielding two field goals to placekicker
Younghoe Koo, the Broncos' defense held the Falcons scoreless in the second half, including four sacks of quarterback
Kirk Cousins. Nix became only the second Broncos' rookie quarterback to throw for 300+ yards and four touchdowns in a single game, joining
Marlin Briscoe. It was the Broncos' first victory over the Falcons since
2008, and in the process, the Broncos also swept the entire
NFC South.
Week 12: at Las Vegas Raiders The Broncos trailed the
Raiders 13–9 at halftime, after settling for three field goals by placekicker
Wil Lutz—two of which were from 50+ yards out. Defensively, the Broncos yielded a 6-yard touchdown pass from Raiders' quarterback
Gardner Minshew to running back
Ameer Abdullah and two field goals by placekicker
Daniel Carlson. After the Broncos went three-and-out to start the second half, Minshew was intercepted by safety
Brandon Jones on an overthrow. The Broncos capitalized two plays later, with quarterback
Bo Nix connecting on an 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Courtland Sutton, which was the only scoring play of the third quarter. Each placekicker traded field goals early in the fourth quarter—a 45-yarder by Lutz, followed by a 53-yarder by Carlson. The Broncos increased their lead to 26–16 on their next possession, with another touchdown pass from Nix to Sutton—from 2 yards out. The Broncos' defense was able to keep the Raiders out of the end zone, and Carlson's fourth field goal of the game—from 22 yards out—pulled the Raiders to within a one-score deficit with 3:41 left in the game. After the Broncos went three-and-out, the Raiders attempted a rally; however, Minshew was injured after being sacked by linebackers
Cody Barton and
Jonathon Cooper, forcing backup quarterback
Desmond Ridder to enter the game. Two plays later, Ridder was strip-sacked by linebacker
Nik Bonitto, and Lutz' fifth field goal game—a 33-yarder at the two-minute warning—gave the Broncos a 29–19 lead that they would not relinquish. With the win, the Broncos swept the Raiders for the first time since
2014, earned their first road victory over the Raiders since
2015, when the Raiders were then-based in
Oakland (as well as their first ever win in Las Vegas), and were two games over .500 after twelve games for the first time since
2016. In addition, Bo Nix set the Broncos' franchise record for touchdown passes by a rookie in a single season, and Nik Bonitto became the first defensive lineman to record double-digit
sacks in a single season since
Von Miller and
Bradley Chubb achieved that feat in
2018.
Week 13: vs. Cleveland Browns The Broncos hosted the
Browns in their first
Monday night home game since
2020. A 2-yard touchdown run by running back
Javonte Williams gave the Broncos the early lead. The Browns responded, with quarterback
Jameis Winston connecting on an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end
David Njoku. After an interception of Broncos' quarterback
Bo Nix, the Browns took the lead, with a 45-yard field goal by placekicker
Dustin Hopkins, who missed a 47-yard attempt in the first quarter. The Broncos reclaimed the lead, with a 1-yard touchdown run by fullback
Michael Burton. On the Browns' next possession, Winston was intercepted by Broncos' linebacker
Nik Bonitto, who returned the football 70 yards for a touchdown just after the two-minute warning. Winston redeemed himself, and engineered an 11-play, 70-yard drive, culminating in his second touchdown pass to Njoku—a 4-yarder just before halftime. After an exchange of punts to start the second half, the Broncos extended their lead to 28–17, with Nix launching a 93-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Marvin Mims. However, on the Browns' first play from scrimmage, Winston connected with wide receiver
Jerry Jeudy on a 70-yard touchdown pass, coupled with a successful two-point conversion to Jeudy, to narrow the Broncos' lead to 28–25. This was Jeudy's first game against the Broncos since being traded to the Browns after the
2023 season. A 36-yard field goal by placekicker
Wil Lutz extended the Broncos' lead to 31–25 late in the third quarter. After another interception of Nix, the Browns reclaimed the lead, with Winston's fourth touchdown pass of the game—a 5-yarder to running back
Nick Chubb with nine minutes remaining in the game. Trailing 32–31, the Broncos marched down the field, but settled for a 27–yard field goal by Lutz with three minutes remaining in the game. The Broncos were hoping for a defensive stop, after struggling to stop Winston the entire game. On the first play after the two-minute warning, Winston was intercepted by Broncos' cornerback
Ja'Quan McMillian, who ran 44 yards down the sideline for a touchdown, after not being touched by the Browns' intended receiver,
Elijah Moore. The Browns attempted a rally, and with a 1st-and-goal at the 2-yard line, Winston was intercepted in the end zone by Broncos' linebacker
Cody Barton to seal the win for the Broncos. The Broncos' defense the Colts scoreless for the remainder of the game, and the Broncos scored 24 unanswered points. Three plays after the aforementioned Pittman fumble, a 44-yard field goal by placekicker
Wil Lutz pulled the Broncos to within a 13–10 deficit at the 5:22 mark of the third quarter. The Broncos then took the lead for good early in the fourth quarter, after Nix connected with tight end
Nate Adkins on a 15-yard touchdown pass. Three plays later, a trick play attempt by Richardson and Colts' wide receiver
Adonai Mitchell went awry, when Mitchell threw a lateral pass intended for Richardson that was intercepted by Broncos' linebacker
Nik Bonitto, who recovered the fumble for a 50-yard touchdown. Nix later connected with wide receiver
Courtland Sutton on a 20-yard touchdown pass to put the game out of reach. With the win, the Broncos earned their first winning season wince
2016. A 41-yard field goal by placekicker
Wil Lutz increased the Broncos' lead to 24–13 midway through the third quarter. However, the Broncos' offense sputtered in the second half, and the Chargers reeled off 21 unanswered points. First, Chargers' running back
Gus Edwards rushed for a 5-yard touchdown, with an unsuccessful two-point attempt. It was Edwards' second rushing touchdown, following a 1-yarder late in the first quarter. Then, after the Broncos went three-and-out, the Chargers took the lead, with Herbert connected with wide receiver
Derius Davis on a 19-yard touchdown pass, with a successful two-point conversion, early in the fourth quarter. After an exchange of punts, the Chargers added to their lead, with Herbert's second touchdown pass of the quarter—a 34-yarder to running back
Hassan Haskins—with 2:36 remaining in the game. Trailing 34–24, Lutz kicked a 55-yard field goal with only one minute remaining in the game. However, the onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, and the Chargers ran out the clock. With the loss, the Broncos suffered their first sweep to the Chargers since
2010. On the Bengals' next possession, Broncos' cornerback
Patrick Surtain II recovered a fumble off Higgins at the Broncos' 40-yard line. However, as the Broncos were hoping to take the lead, Nix was intercepted by linebacker
Germaine Pratt six plays later, giving the Bengals the football at their own 41-yard line with 2:38 remaining in the game. The Bengals reached the Broncos' 6-yard line in three plays at the 1:39 mark of the fourth quarter. However, instead on running out the clock for a potential game-winning field goal, Burrow rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Bengals a 24–17 lead. The Broncos began their final possession of regulation with 1:29 left. Nix led the Broncos down the field, and with only 14 seconds remaining, Nix connected with Mims for a 25-yard touchdown pass that was reviewed by instant replay, but upheld, sending the game to overtime. The Broncos' defense forced a Bengals' punt on the initial possession of overtime. However, the Broncos went three-and-out, and the Bengals marched down the field, culminating in the game-winning 3-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to Higgins at the 1:10 mark of overtime.
Standings Division Conference Statistics Team leaders League rankings Starters Captains ==Postseason==