Bo Nix had a feeling. From the Broncos sideline, Denver’s quarterback watched intently as Washington lined up for a do-or-die 2-point conversion in overtime. He could see the defense’s alignment – and specifically edge rusher Nik Bonitto’s positioning – might just save the game.
Nix was spot on. Bonitto knocked down Marcus Mariota’s pass attempt to seal Denver’s heart-stopping 27-26 overtime victory Sunday night.
“I knew what defense we were in, and I kind of figured out the play,” Nix said afterward. “I think the guy might have been open, but Nik did a great job of making that play.”
This wild back-and-forth contest – which Washington dramatically tied on the final play of regulation – came down to one decisive moment. After the Broncos scored to open overtime, the Commanders answered with an 11-play, 65-yard drive. Terry McLaurin hauled in a clutch 3-yard touchdown from Mariota on fourth-and-3.
Instead of kicking the extra point to extend overtime, Washington went for the win.
As the Commanders settled into their formation for the 2-point try, Broncos head coach Sean Payton called timeout. That decision proved crucial.
“We call it a Kodak situation where you have a timeout, the game’s going to end, so call the timeout, regroup, collect your thoughts,” Payton explained. “The challenge in those plays are designed QB runs, which we were concerned with… we went from one pressure to another.”
During that timeout, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph tweaked the call, setting up what would become the game-deciding play.
“There’s going to be a free rusher if you pressure the way we did it,” Payton said. “And you don’t know who’s going to be the free rusher because of the protection… they left Nik free and the timing and everything was great.”
The Broncos crowded the line pre-snap with all 11 defenders within 4 yards of the ball. Bonitto lined up wide outside Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil. When Washington’s protection scheme couldn’t account for Denver’s six rushers, Bonitto came through untouched.
He closed fast on Mariota, leaped as the quarterback released the ball, and swatted it down with his right hand – which has been in a cast since Week 3.
McLaurin appeared to be breaking open as Mariota threw.
“The DC, Vance, was doing a good job mixing up zero and showing zero [blitzes] and dropping out,” Mariota admitted afterward. “And then on the 2 point, he brought zero — I knew I had to try to get some depth and give our guy a chance. He made a play on it, and that’s the way it goes.”
Bonitto, the hero of the moment, explained his thought process: “I knew he was buying time. At that point, I was just trying to make it hard for him to throw the ball, and I ended up knocking it down and we ended up winning the game.”
The timeout before the decisive play was critical in Bonitto’s view.
“It kind of helped calm us down a little bit,” he said, “be able to get into what we were able to get into and get a stop.”
Payton and the Broncos actually thought they’d already won the game nine plays earlier. Safety Brandon Jones had intercepted a deflected pass on fourth-and-6 from Denver’s 41-yard line, but officials flagged safety Talanoa Hufanga for pass interference.
The call stunned Payton so much he prematurely removed his headset used to communicate with Nix.
“[That’s] the first time for me in I don’t know how many years as a head coach where I took [off] the quarterback to helmet [radio],” Payton said. “We didn’t get the sack, interference was called — it’s never happened before.”
With the victory, Denver has now won nine straight games – their longest winning streak since taking 11 consecutive to finish the 2012 regular season. They’ve become masters of nail-biters, with Sunday marking their sixth game this season decided on the final play.
They’re now 4-2 in those last-play thrillers.