LANDOVER, Md. — The Broncos earned a crucial prime-time win.
It just took a few extra minutes.
In the Broncos' first overtime win in a decade, Denver scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the extra period before Nik Bonitto batted down a two-point conversion attempt after a Washington touchdown to secure a 27-26 overtime win over the Commanders and improve to 10-2 on the season.
With the clutch moment in overtime, the Broncos earned their third prime-time win of the year to keep pace in the chase for the AFC's top seed.
The Broncos' fourth consecutive road win, which represents their longest streak since 2015, pushed Denver to 8-2 in one-score games this year.
In a game that featured five lead changes, the Broncos snapped a five-game overtime losing streak and earned their first win in overtime since 2015.
These were the plays and players that helped the Broncos earn their 10th win of the season:
GAME-CHANGING MOMENT
There were a series of moments in a back-and-forth game like this.
Dre Greenlaw's first-half interception to save points. Alex Singleton's pass breakup late in the game against Zach Ertz. Denver's ability to hold the Commanders out of the end zone on their final drive of regulation.
After the game, though, Head Coach Sean Payton pointed to the Broncos' two-minute drive before the end of the first half as a deciding factor in who won the football game.
With 2:21 to play in the first half and facing a 7-6 deficit, Bo Nix completed passes of 13 yards, 12 yards and 8 yards to help push Denver into the red zone. Then, on second-and-10 from the Washington 11-yard line, Nix made one of the most athletic plays of his young career. As he was flushed to his right, he unleashed a pass to Courtland Sutton for a touchdown.
He let go of the pass a split second before his knee hit the ground, and it resulted in critical points.
DEFINING STATISTIC
8-of-10.
The Broncos' top-ranked third-down defense didn't have its best night early, as the Commanders converted six of their first seven third-down attempts. That included several lengthy third-down conversions, including a third-and-13 and a third-and-12.
When Denver's defense needed to be at its best, though, the unit delivered.
The Commanders finished 8-of-17 on third down, as Denver got stops on eight of Washington's final 10 third-down attempts.
Late in the game, as Denver clung to a lead before an eventual overtime win, those stops were paramount.
MEMORABLE HIGHLIGHT
We've mentioned Nix's gravity-defying touchdown pass, so let's credit linebacker Dre Greenlaw after he recorded his first takeaway with the Broncos.
Greenlaw picked off Mariota early in the second quarter to wipe out a Commanders scoring chance, leaping into the air to snag the jump-ball throw and then returning the interception 27 yards to set up a field-goal drive.
There's an argument to be made the Broncos' first takeaway of the day was another defining moment, as it erased a potential go-ahead scoring drive for Washington and led to Denver points.
BOX-SCORE STANDOUTS
Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto recorded a sack to reach double digits for a second consecutive season, and he also had the key deflection at the end of the game to seal the win.
In his return to the field after successful surgery for testicular cancer, inside linebacker Alex Singleton recorded six tackles and a pair of passes defensed. The final PBU was critical in helping to keep the Commanders at bay.
Quarterback Bo Nix created a highlight moment to end the first half, as he delivered a touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton while falling to his right. Nix turned in his second 300-yard game of the year in the win.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw helped record a critical takeaway as he posted his first interception of the year.
Tight end Evan Engram posted his most yards in a game since joining the Broncos, and his 41-yard catch-and-run in overtime helped set up Denver's game-winning touchdown.
