Broncos quarterback Bo Nix leads four late-season comebacks

Bo Nix threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter last Sunday to lift the Denver Broncos to a 28-24 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. The win came after the Broncos were trailing 24-13 and had failed to gain first down on all three of their drives during the third quarter. Nix now holds 15 career game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime, a league-leading total for a quarterback in his first three NFL seasons.

Head coach Sean Payton admitted he does not have an explanation for the pattern. He noted that the team wants to start fast every week, yet the results have not matched that goal. "I don't have the answer," Payton said. He added that he looks internally at the performance and thinks, "All right, let’s get going." He emphasized that there is no week where the coaching staff prefers a slow start.

The numbers from this season show a stark contrast between the early and late stages of play. The Broncos have scored only 26 points in the first quarter through eight games. In the fourth quarter, they have scored 70 points. The team has completed four fourth-quarter comebacks this year against the Jaguars, Rams, Chargers, and Chiefs. In three of those games, Denver trailed by double digits. Across those four contests, the Broncos outscored their opponents 56-10 in the final period.

Nix said he does not feel like his mindset changes when the clock runs down. He views the late-game surge as a response to opportunity. "I just think it’s opportunity, and that’s just usually how the game goes," Nix said. He added that when a game is within one score at the end, the team must go out and win it.

Wide receiver Courtland Sutton said Nix shows confidence when the situation demands it. Sutton compared the team's ability to recover to solving a math problem that becomes easier with repetition. "The more times you see a math problem, it becomes easier for you to solve that problem when you see it again," Sutton said. He noted that the team never feels eliminated from a game.

Sutton acknowledged that the team would prefer to dominate in the fourth quarter rather than rely on comebacks. However, he said the experience provides a mental advantage. "We’ve been here before. We know how to win these games," Sutton said. He believes that knowledge allows the players to act with confidence and speed.

The Broncos enter the weekend with a 6-2 record. They will travel to face the Carolina Panthers, who are 3-4. Since the start of the 2025 season, the team has 20 regular-season wins. Only four of those victories came by more than one score. The Broncos are 5-0 in one-score games this year, following an 11-2 record in such games last season.