Mile High Report
It was a throwback game to remember as the Broncos punished the Cowboys 44 to 22 in a beatdown that was unexpected in Vegas but not unprecedented in Denver.
And it was the young guys making the highlight reel.
“I think it’s vital,” head coach Sean Payton said Monday, noting that teams don’t have two or three years to wait for their progress. “It was a game where we saw a lot of young players step up and make plays. I think we have to continue to play them.”
Payton added that games like yesterday give young guys a lot of needed confidence.
“You can kind of see it propel them very quickly,” he added. “But I do think it’s important that the contributions are coming not just from the veteran players but also the young players that we feel like are ready to play.”
That kind of confidence was notable yesterday, particularly from the quarterback.
Despite throwing an interception on just the third play of the game, Nix bounced back with well-orchestrated scoring drives that signaled the fast start Payton was hoping to have.
“[Nix’s] feet got away from him a little bit,” the coach said of the turnover. “He bounced right back. He was magnificent. He was outstanding.”
Nix pointed out that he really didn’t have any choice. Not if he wants to be a legit NFL quarterback (ok, he didn’t say that second part, but you know he meant it).
“You cannot go into a shell for the rest of the game. That is not going to do anybody any good, including myself,” Nix admitted. “I definitely was not happy about it, but what can I do, go back and change it? I have to move forward. I can only change the future and go make the plays in front of me. That is what we did.”
Nix threw four touchdowns – joining Peyton Manning and John Elway as the only Broncos’ QBs to win three or more games while also completing four or more passing touchdowns.
Troy Franklin hauled in two of those TD passes while rookie Pat Bryant grabbed one – earning his first NFL touchdown…and the ball from his QB.
But not before he did the most important thing in Broncos Country – the Mile High Salute.
“It was amazing. I just wanted to make sure that I got the ‘Mile High Salute’ in. Especially with the throwbacks, I’ve been hearing it a lot this week. So a very special moment,” he said. “Shoutout to Bo for going to grab [the ball]. … it was a very special moment. Just having Bo throw me my first touchdown was even better.”
But perhaps the most surprising scorer of the day was rookie running back RJ Harvey, who claimed three of the Broncos’ six touchdowns, including one off the Wildcat and another 40-yard TD from a toss in the backfield.
He’s the first rookie running back in 20 years to score three touchdowns in a game....
