7 instant reactions to Broncos' absolute thriller win over Rams in Week 3

The Denver Broncos just beat the Los Angeles Rams in a football game in Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season...

And it might end up being the most insane Sunday Night Football game of the entire season.

The opening sentence may have been boring, but that was simply to contrast the absolute madness we just witnessed in another crazy 4th-quarter comeback for the Broncos. They've outdone themselves once again.

The Broncos overcame an ugly 16-0 deficit to come back and beat the Rams in an absolutely stunning 30-26 victory that was absolutely unhinged in nature. Let's dive into our instant takeaways and waste no more time.

7 instant reactions from the Broncos' Week 3 win over the Rams

1. TALANOA HUFANGA'S FIRST BRONCOS INT...IS A PICK-SIX

And his second interception sealed the victory.

For his entire first season in Denver, Talanoa Hufanga became known for dropping interceptions. Even though he was a tremendous impact addition to the team, he whiffed on some huge plays in the 2025 season that could have created at least four or five takeaways for the defense.

And frankly, he had been back at it again in the 2026 season, including a couple of plays against the Rams. One of his dropped interceptions early against the Rams led to the first touchdown of the game for Los Angeles.

He made sure to make up for it as the game went along. Not only does Hufanga get a game ball for his game-changing pick-six, but for his victory-sealing interception as well as a huge sack on Matthew Stafford. This was a Hufanga legacy game.

2. Jekyll & Hyde Broncos continues

The Broncos can't deny who they are at this point. They are the Jekyll & Hyde of the NFL.

For two seasons, we've all been trying -- laboring -- to figure out what the identity of this team is. They are inconsistent in many ways. They are maddening in many ways. But they are the most clutch team in the NFL.

They always find a way to rise to the occasion, which is the important part, especially against an opponent like the Los Angeles Rams. Even without Puka Nacua and Myles Garrett, we saw what kind of operation the Rams are capable of running on Monday night against the Giants.

The Broncos were shut out in the first half, looked incompetent, and were on the brink of another blowout loss like they suffered in Week 1 against the Chiefs.

And then they weren't.

3. Davante Adams is Pat Surtain's boogeyman

On 13 targets, Davante Adams stepped up with 7 receptions for 137 yards, nearly averaging 20 yards per reception against the Broncos.

That simply does not happen to Pat Surtain II.

Davante Adams might be his "boogeyman". This is the type of game Surtain will be motivated to bounce back in a big way from, but it was clear from the start that the Rams were not afraid to throw at Surtain, and Adams was up for the challenge.

This was one of the rare instances where someone had the upper hand on PS2.

4. Davis Webb's play-calling on 3rd and short is...something

For the third straight game, the Broncos' play-calling on 3rd-and-short situations has been questionable, to say the least.

In the first two games, offensive coordinator Davis Webb has gone to an empty backfield on separate 3rd-and-short situations (3rd and 2 or less), and telegraphed that he was throwing the ball. On a crucial 3rd-and-1 play in the 4th quarter against the Rams, the Broncos once again telegraphed a throwing play, and it was predictably broken up at the line of scrimmage.

Why the Broncos won't simply run the ball in those 3rd-and-short situations is beyond anyone's understanding at this point, especially after they had a 100 percent success rate on fullback runs to Adam Prentice during the preseason.

5. Kolbe Katsis was a difference-maker in the return game

The Broncos were once again without Marvin Mims Jr. for this game against the Los Angeles Rams, but instead of just throwing Kris Abrams-Draine back there the entire game, they elevated rookie free agent Kolbe Katsis to the roster off the practice squad.

And he delivered in a big way.

Katsis finished with three punt returns for 39 yards, including a huge 28-yard return that set up the Broncos with their first touchdown drive of the game.

The huge return by Katsis to set up the first TD drive was the catalyst for the comeback, but his threat in the return game also gave the Broncos a huge advantage on an unsportsmanlike penalty when a gunner for the Rams was running out of bounds for too long.

It took the Broncos from starting a drive at their own 10 to starting near midfield after the penalty was assessed half the distance to the goal, and the Rams had to re-kick.

Having a return specialist who is a legitimate threat to make plays is a massive advantage for the Broncos in the field position battle, and Katsis was fantastic in his NFL debut.

6. Every receiver stepping up

We got huge plays from all of the Broncos' receivers in this one.

Courtland Sutton led the team with 46 yards on three receptions. Pat Bryant had two catches for 44 yards, including a touchdown and a massive conversion on 2nd-and-20 during the Broncos' go-ahead drive.

Bryant also drew a pass interference flag on the greatest acting job of his life. Even if he was slightly interfered with, his display of acting interfered with legitimately wiped a game-ending interception off the board.

Jaylen Waddle was somewhat quiet in this game compared to the Jaguars victory, but he had a huge run on a jet sweep to help on a scoring drive, and he also caught a two-point conversion that still doesn't make any sense:

7. Teams continue to pick on Alex Singleton & Riley Moss

Alex Singleton and Riley Moss continue to have struggles this season.

Although Moss had a bounce-back game against the Jaguars, he had another huge penalty in this game against the Rams, as well as a huge lapse on a go-ahead touchdown in the 4th quarter when he was caught cheating on a double move by a Rams receiver.

It was an ugly game from the start for Alex Singleton, who was clearly the player on Denver's defense circled and targeted by Rams head coach Sean McVay, and rightfully so.

Until Singleton proves he can not be a liability in coverage, teams are going to keep going after him.

Bonus: Bo Nix has ice in his veins

This wasn't the best game from quarterback Bo Nix, but he made huge plays in the clutch. He had some really rough throws in this game against the Rams, but my goodness this guy comes up big when it matters the most.

He soared over the goal line for a go-ahead touchdown, capping off yet another game-winning drive for this team.

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