The Denver Broncos beat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7 to get to 5-2 on the season. It wasn't easy, and it was again an ugly game, but the Broncos won and took care of business.
This game wasn't without some shaky penalty calls, some ugly offense from time to time, and some players going down in the fourth quarter, but a win is a win. Denver is now keeping pace with most teams in the AFC as the playoff race slowly heats up.
Let's dive into our immediate takeaways following Denver's victory.
Denver Broncos instant takeaways following ugly Week 7 win
Bo Nix's 62-yard rushing touchdown was a thing of beauty
In the first half, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix ran for a 62-yard touchdown, the longest of his NFL career. The Cardinals were in man coverage on defense, so Nix ended up having a ton of space to run since the Cardinals defenders were all following Broncos.
It was honestly shocking to watch the play unfold, but the touchdown run had to have felt good for Nix, as he reached nearly 20 MPH on the run, and perhaps quieted any further concerns with his surgically repaired ankle.
Jaylen Waddle and Zach Allen both got hurt in the fourth quarter
The Broncos were having a ton of success running the ball in the second half with Jonah Coleman, and as the fourth quarter ticked down, head coach Sean Payton called a downright pathetic end-around for Waddle, who dropped the ball, recovered it, and landed awkwardly on what appeared to be his shoulder.
That play should not have been called in the first place, but Waddle also should not have bobbled the ball. Zach Allen also went down with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Both Waddle and Allen missing any period of time would be brutal for the offense and defense, and Payton's play-call to put Waddle in that position was insanely silly.
Jonah Coleman has arrived
Running back Jonah Coleman, in his first game back, ran the ball nine times for 54 yards, averaging six yards per carry. J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey combined for nine carries for 29 yards and a touchdown. Coleman's longest run was 15 yards, and it became clear almost instantly that Coleman has been what this team is missing out of the backfield.
His explosiveness in between the tackles and attacking the open holes is what Denver just does not have with Dobbins or Harvey. And it's also not a surprise that Nix looked a lot more comfortable throwing the ball and testing down the field with the run game holding up their end of the bargain...
Bo Nix looked a lot more comfortable operating the offense with a respectable run game
Nix's outing was far from perfect, but we saw the Broncos third-year QB take shots down the field. He made a few plays with his legs and just seemed more comfortable back there. The run game certainly helps that, and if Denver can keep that up with Coleman, this passing attack will hit its stride.
Nix as a whole has not played that well this year, but the Broncos also were not able to run the ball consistently until this week. The run game coming alive and Nix looking more comfortable are not coincidences.
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