ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — In the biggest moments, Bo Nix has played his best football.
The latest example came Sunday afternoon in Houston, as Nix led his team on a six-play, 48-yard field-goal drive in just 50 seconds to help Denver advance to 7-2.
The Broncos' second-year quarterback has now recorded four game-winning drives this season and seven since he entered the league. Both totals are tied for the most in the NFL, and Nix has made big-time plays to earn those wins.
On Sunday, Nix recorded just his second rushing attempt of the game as he scrambled for a 25-yard gain that put Denver on the edge of field-goal range. Three plays later, he added another nine yards on the ground to set up a 34-yard attempt.
The performance was nothing new. Nix, who threw a touchdown pass to running back RJ Harvey early in the fourth quarter, is tied with Aaron Rodgers and Jared Goff for the most fourth-quarter passing touchdowns in the NFL this season. Add in Nix's rushing touchdowns, and his nine fourth-quarter scores are the most of any quarterback in the league.
Nix also has just one interception in the fourth quarter this year, and he's posted a 105.3 quarterback rating in the frame.
The fourth-quarter heroics — which include double-digit comebacks against the Eagles and Giants — have instilled belief in the Broncos' locker room that a comeback is always possible with No. 10 in the backfield.
"Bo's just being Bo," wide receiver Courtland Sutton said postgame. "Week in and week out, he shows up. … Whenever I get a chance to talk to you guys, I'm always raving about him as a competitor, him as a person, him as a teammate, a brother. The guy has that 'it' [factor] to him.
"… He finds a way. He's a gamer. The dude shows up. We know that when we have him back there, we have a chance to win the game. I think that's the most fun thing and confident thing to be able to have is to know the guy back there is going to give us a chance to win the game. That's what he does week in and week out."
GREENLAW MAKES AN IMPACT
In his return to game action, linebacker Dre Greenlaw played 27 snaps for Denver's defense in Sunday's win — and he sure made them count.
Despite playing 37 percent of the team's defensive plays, Greenlaw finished third on the team with eight tackles and also recorded a sack and quarterback hit.
He was particularly impactful on a first-quarter goal-line stand, as he was involved in all three tackles as Denver held Houston out of the end zone from the 1-yard line.
"He brings an element — just a toughness, a competitiveness," Payton said of Greenlaw on Monday. "It's hard to put on paper. He's extremely physical, and I think he plays with such good pad level and leverage. He's a great tackler. It's good to have him in the lineup. It was tough waiting and making that decision, but [in] hindsight, it was worth it."
