Broncos Are Bucking History With Ongoing Comebacks, According To This Expert

For the Denver Broncos, the position they found themselves in early in their game against the Washington Commanders was familiar territory. It happened after an 8-yard touchdown run by running back Chris Rodriguez in the second quarter when Commanders kicker Jake Moody hit the extra point.

That point put Denver down 7-6, but that was inconsequential in the moment. From a seasonal perspective, however, it was the 12th time this year that the Broncos trailed at some point in the game.

Denver has won ten of those games. This one wasn’t a comeback win per se, but Nick Kosmider of The Athletic made some interesting points about where this fits as an historical trend.

Since 2000, there have been 95 teams that have trailed at some point in their first 12 games, according to TruMedia. Only five of those teams have posted a winning record, including the Broncos, and the record of all four of those other teams was 7-5.

More importantly, only five of those 95 teams went on to make the playoffs. The Broncos will be the sixth, barring an epic collapse, but these stats just show how much of an anomaly Denver’s season is becoming.

Some of these deficits have been marginal, as Kosmider points out. The big one was the epic comeback against the New York Giants after the Broncos trailed 26-8, and that game put the Broncos on the map as a potentially serious contender.

Bo Nix is the catalyst in all this, but there are some stats Kosmider used to show how the Broncos have been able to negotiate this high-wire act. In the second half of games, they lead the league in third-down defense, and they’re fourth in red-zone defense.

That creates a level of confidence that can’t be quantified, however.

“There’s this feeling that you can’t really describe that you never truly feel like you’re out of it,” tight end Adam Trautman said. “I know we feel that way as an offense because of how great our defense is.”

Nix has also been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the fourth quarter, and he’s the backbone of Denver’s confidence when the game’s on the line.

“He is so calm. He’ll maybe make a little joke or smile or something in the huddle, and everyone feels relaxed,” Trautman said. “It’s his overall demeanor. He never feels shaken by anything. You’re watching him, and he gets us out of a lot of bad situations, as well. … He’s just a gamer, and he finds ways to fix things. I think that’s where the confidence stems from and why we believe in him so much.”