Rich’s Biggest Takeaways from the Broncos’ Thrilling/Controversial SNF Win Over the Rams

The preseason billing was a potential Super Bowl 61 preview. What Denver and Los Angeles delivered on Sunday Night Football was a game that came down to the final second, a pile of controversial calls, and the Broncos doing the thing they apparently cannot stop doing: winning from way behind.

Rich had the numbers ready. This is the first time the Broncos have ever won back-to-back games when trailing by 10 or more points in the second half. They trailed by 10 against the Jaguars in Week 2 and trailed 16-0 in this one. It was their first comeback from a halftime deficit of 16 or more since Week 6 of 2012. "I don't know how often they're going to be able to win these types of games, but guess what? They're used to it," Rich said.

The first half belonged entirely to the Rams. Rich ran through it like a checklist. Matthew Stafford wanted to find Davante Adams, check. One of "his 19 tight ends," check. Run it with Kyren Williams or Blake Corum, check. Pressure Bo Nix, check. Take away the run game and Jaylen Waddle, check. "They were checking boxes everywhere."

Then Denver flipped it. After a three-and-out to open the second half, the Rams started making mistakes and the Broncos got out of the two-deep shell Chris Collinsworth had been talking about all night. A two-point conversion to Waddle over Josh Wallace tied it. Wallace then picked off Nix, but the Rams had to settle for another Harrison Mevis field goal. That was the theme, Rich said: the Rams kept settling for field goals.

That set the stage for Talanoa Hufanga. With the Rams up three and driving, and Davante Adams scampering for half the field, Hufanga took one back for a pick six. "Let me tell you something about this Hufanga guy," Rich said. He had a sack and two interceptions in the fourth quarter, including the game sealer. Only two players have done that in a single quarter since 1982, the other being Karlos Dansby against the Giants in the 2005 opener. "I didn't think I'd be mentioning his name today."

Stafford, meanwhile, shrugged off the pick six like a closer who blows a save and comes back the next day. It was the 33rd of his career, which Rich learned is the most in NFL history. It came on the same night Stafford became the first player ever to throw for 20,000 yards with two separate franchises. He drove the Rams right down the field for a touchdown and the lead.

Now the flag. On third down, Nix threw toward Pat Bryant, and Wallace appeared to come away with a second interception. The official behind the play saw Wallace's left hand and forearm in Bryant's side as Bryant flailed for a ball that bounced off him, and threw the flag for defensive pass interference. Another flag followed for illegal hands to the face on Quentin Lake, "seemingly like a brush, but he did get him in the head."

Rich was not buying the first call. The official with a clear front view stared right at it and kept his flag. That angle, Rich said, showed Bryant had Wallace by the right shoulder and was dragging him. "It was, if anything, in my mind, offensive pass interference and a remarkable interception," he said, adding that Terry McAulay and Collinsworth saw it the same way. Chris saw hands on Bryant. Rich's reply: the official only saw a flailing receiver with a defender's hand on him, and "you can't see the fact that Bryant has a fist full of Wallace dragging him along."

Sean Payton, Rich figured, would say the football gods owed him one against the Rams after the NFC Championship Game a few years ago. Sean McVay kept it measured: "It looked like it was a good competitive play from my vantage point, but we'll go back and look at it and we'll see what they say."

Denver is 2-1, and Rich has a theory: it was alumni weekend, and the last alumni weekend, against the Giants last year, was also the last time Denver scored 30 or more in the second half after being shut out through halftime. "Let's get Elway back. Let's get Shannon back in there." Next up is a must-see trip to San Francisco, then the Chargers, who are 0-3 with a trip to Seattle looming.

As for the Rams, Rich is not worried long term. Aaron Donald is still only playing half the snaps, and Myles Garrett and Puka Nacua haven't played since Week 1. Stafford nearly threw for 400 yards against this defense with Adams as his main receiver. The next stretch is at Philadelphia and home for Buffalo on Monday night, and Rich pointed out that the soft part of the schedule after that might be the Chargers, not the 3-0 Raiders. Get Garrett, Puka and a full-speed Donald back, and Rich is not concerned about the Rams in the long run.