Rams vs Broncos looked finished at half time. Los Angeles led 16-0 at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday Night Football, and Denver’s offense had barely moved. Then the second half flipped completely. Bo Nix threw two touchdown passes, Talanoa Hufanga returned a Matthew Stafford interception for a score, and Nix dove over from a yard out with 47 seconds left to give the Broncos a 30-26 win.
The result moves Denver to 2-1 and drops the Rams to 1-2, according to ESPN’s final box score. Los Angeles played again without star receiver Puka Nacua.
A tale of two halves
The first half was all Rams. Stafford found tight end Tyler Higbee for a 5-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and kicker Harrison Mevis added field goals from 36, 35 and 40 yards, the last one as the second quarter clock hit zero.
After the break, the Rams’ offense disappeared. CBS Sports’ live coverage noted that Los Angeles went backwards on its first three second half drives and punted each time. Denver took full advantage. Nix hit Pat Bryant from 5 yards and Nate Adkins from 8 yards, and the Broncos converted two point tries after both scores. That tied the game 16-16 with 2:15 left in the third quarter.
Why the two point tries mattered
For casual fans, here’s the math. A touchdown is worth six points. Teams usually kick for one more, but they can instead run one play from the 2-yard line for two. Trailing 16-0, Denver needed two touchdowns and two successful two point conversions just to draw level. Kicking both extra points would have left them 16-14 behind. Going for two twice and making both is what turned a comeback attempt into a tied game.
The fourth quarter swings
Mevis put the Rams back in front 19-16 with a 48-yard field goal with 8:40 left. Then came the play of the night. Hufanga picked off Stafford and ran it all the way back for a touchdown, giving Denver its first lead at 23-19 with 4:49 remaining.
Los Angeles answered straight away. Stafford hit Konata Mumpfield for a 48-yard touchdown to make it 26-23 with 3:38 left. But the Broncos had one more drive in them, and Nix finished it himself with a 1-yard touchdown run with 47 seconds on the clock. The Rams, with one timeout left, couldn’t answer.
Key numbers
| Stat | Rams | Broncos |
|---|---|---|
| Score by half | 16 first half, 10 second half | 0 first half, 30 second half |
| Record after Week 3 | 1-2 | 2-1 |
| Quarterback | Stafford: 337 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT | Nix: 186 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT, plus the winning TD run |
| Top rusher | Kyren Williams: 15 carries, 88 yds | J.K. Dobbins: 17 carries, 49 yds |
| Top receiver | Davante Adams: 7 catches, 137 yds | Courtland Sutton: 3 catches, 46 yds |
| Field goals | Mevis: 4 of 4 (36, 35, 40, 48) | None |
Figures from ESPN’s box score. Stafford outpassed Nix by 151 yards and still lost, largely because of one throw that ended up in Hufanga’s hands.
What’s next for the Rams and Broncos
Both teams travel in Week 4. The Rams visit the Philadelphia Eagles at 1pm ET on Sunday, October 4. The Broncos head to the San Francisco 49ers at 4:25pm ET the same day, according to the NFL’s official Week 4 schedule.
For another wild Week 3 finish, read how the Ravens beat the Cowboys with a seven second drive in Rio.
