Quarterback Bo Nix once again led the Denver Broncos offense on a scoring rampage, and the Dallas Cowboys simply couldn’t keep up as the Broncos went on to win in a route, 44-23.
Nix was the star, but he had plenty of help. The Broncos went up and down the field all day, scoring two touchdowns in three of the four quarters, while Dallas ran out of gas offensively early in the fourth quarter.
The first half featured yet another Bo Nix offensive onslaught as the Denver quarterback threw a pair of touchdown passes, the first to receiver Troy Franklin, the second to fellow wideout Pat Bryant.
The Broncos running game also came up big, as running back RJ Harvey had two rushing touchdowns, the first one a 40-yard jaunt with the second coming from a yard out. Primary running back J.K. Dobbins was dominant as well, with the Cowboys constantly failing to set the edge as Dobbins wound up with 111 yards on just 15 carries.
The Broncos took control of this scoring fest early. They led 14-3 after a quarter, then 27-10 at the half, but Dallas mounted a brief comeback in the third quarter. With cornerback Patrick Surtain II out due to a shoulder injury, quarterback Dak Prescott got Dallas within 10 points at 27-17, with running back Javonte Williams cutting the margin to two scores with a one-yard run.
That was as close as the Cowboys got, though. The relentless Broncos offense took over, as Dallas sustained yet another injury in the secondary and Nix constantly picked on outmatched cornerback Trikweze Bridges.
The Denver quarterback ended up throwing two more TD passes to wind up with four, and he actually had another one dropped by receiver Courtland Sutton. Nix benefitted from an ultra-clean pocket throughout the day, with Trayvon Diggs going on IR earlier in the week due to concussion symptoms and the lingering effects of a knee injury.
Prescott’s numbers were decent, but he faced constant pressure all day and was constantly forced to escape from the pocket. Wearing their throwback Orange Crush uni’s, the Broncos defense sacked Prescott twice, and they held the Dallas quarterback under 100 yards in the first half and below 200 for the game with a pair of interceptions and no touchdown passes. Backup QB Joe Milton finished the Dallas scoring with a 35-yard strike to receiver Jalen Tolbert with the game long out of reach.
As for Nix, he continues to make Broncos history, albeit not in a single quarter this week. He’s accounted directly for eight touchdowns in his last two games, and his record in his first 25 starts is now 16-9, which ties him with franchise legend John Elway. Oh, and Nix also sustained Denver’s eight-game home win streak, which dates back to last year.
The lone dark spot for Denver was their secondary. Cornerback Riley Moss got called for pass interference and holding throughout the day, especially after reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II left the game for good with a shoulder injury.
Denver held serve atop the AFC West at 6-2, but Broncos fans will now hold their breath as they wait to learn the severity of Surtain’s shoulder injury while preparing for next week's road game against the Houston Texans.