GLENDALE, Ariz. — It's no secret that the Broncos have had their fair share of recent success in one-score games.
Prior to Week 7, all four of Denver's wins in 2026 had been by one score. A season ago, 11 of the team's 14 victories came in one-possession games.
And while several players have spoken highly of the team's resilience and ability to be at its best in the biggest moments, the group has also spoken about the importance of finding ways to not be in those situations so often.
On Sunday at State Farm Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals, the Broncos proved they are more than capable of winning in other fashions, as the team protected a lead throughout the entire second half and secured its first multi-score win of the 2026 season. And according to Head Coach Sean Payton, that was largely due to a holistic team effort.
"There were a lot of plays that stood out," Payton said following the win. "… It was one of our more complete games. Kicking game … we had a good kick return to start the game with [wide receiver Marvin] Mims [Jr.] [getting us to] midfield. A lot of things I'm sure we'll look at and like."
When speaking about the complementary football Denver played on Sunday, Payton specifically referenced a series of plays in the third quarter. Protecting a 13-6 lead, Denver's defense got a stop and forced an Arizona punt near midfield. Fullback Adam Prentice blocked the punt, and the Broncos gained possession at their own 38-yard line. Just three plays later, quarterback Bo Nix connected with running back RJ Harvey for a 52-yard score to extend Denver's lead.
"That's the best," inside linebacker Alex Singleton said of the play. "… That's a guy that has always been making those critical, small plays for us. In a big spot like that, to make a play like that, it's special. And that's what the team is all about."
Guard Quinn Meinerz added of the team effort that contributed to Denver's win: "Offense scored points when we needed to. We took advantage of the field position. Special teams gave us incredible field position the entire day. Defense [was] lights out, as always. It felt good to have all phases contribute together."
Denver's defense did what it does best early in Sunday's game, keeping the Cardinals' offense out of the end zone for the entire first half. The Broncos forced a pair of field-goal attempts on both of the Cardinals' trips to the red zone before halftime, and the unit also allowed Arizona to convert just 1-of-8 third-down attempts in the first half. Arizona finished Sunday's game 1-of-5 in the red zone.
The Broncos' offense, meanwhile, recorded 377 net yards — the team's second-highest output of the season — and scored 30 points, which matched the team's season-high mark. The Broncos rushed for a season-high 159 yards, and Denver also posted a series of explosive plays, including five plays of at least 20 yards.
"It's what we're meant to be," tackle Garett Bolles said of Denver's offensive effort. "This is who we are. We knew our defense was going to deal with their long drives and try to keep them out of the end zone, which they did. And we knew when we got the ball we needed to score and give them a break."
Special teams also shined in the win. In addition to Prentice's blocked punt, punter Jeremy Crawshaw turned in another standout performance, Mims delivered the aforementioned 39-yard return to begin the game and kicker Wil Lutz converted all three of his field-goal attempts and extended his extra-point streak to 111 consecutive makes.
"All three phases were awesome," defensive lineman Zach Allen said. "… We were able to get that lead. As a defense, it takes a lot of pressure off of us. So, hopefully it continues.
"… It's important to be able to win in those one-score games, but at the end of the day, you'll take some two-score, three-score wins."
RB JONAH COLEMAN PROVIDES 'JUICE' IN RETURN TO GAME ACTION
Running back Jonah Coleman didn't skip a beat.
After recording 58 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in Denver's Week 2 win over the Jaguars, the rookie spent the next four games sidelined with an ankle injury. He returned to action in Week 7 and got right back to work, recording a career-high 69 scrimmage yards in the win.
"We were all excited to see him get back," tackle Mike McGlinchey said of the rookie. "He looked great this week at practice. It was no surprise to us that he had success today. He's a talented kid. He's just going to continue to get better the more he's out there."
Coleman, who said he "felt great from the get-go" on Sunday, rushed for 54 of those yards and averaged 6.0 yards per carry. His longest run of the day was a 15-yard pickup during the fourth quarter.
"Juice," Payton said of what Coleman brought to Denver's offense on Sunday. "He looked really good. Got to get him more touches."
