Nix runs and throws for 50-plus-yard scores as Denver beats Arizona 30-16

Nix's night

Bo Nix led the Denver Broncos to a 30-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals, becoming the fifth player in NFL history to record a 50-plus-yard touchdown pass and a 50-plus-yard touchdown run in the same game. It was Denver's first multi-score win of the 2026 season. m:…9612 m:…6817

Nix reached the end zone on the ground first, on a 62-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter that gave Denver the lead for good. The run was the longest by a quarterback in Broncos history. He later connected with running back RJ Harvey for a 52-yard touchdown pass, and finished 15 of 29 for 222 yards and a touchdown pass. m:…9612 m:…6817

It was the first time since 2002 that the Broncos recorded a 50-plus-yard rushing score and a 50-plus-yard passing touchdown in the same game. Denver scored in all four quarters for the first time this season and posted five plays of at least 20 yards, matching its highest output of the season. m:…9612

A complete game, in Payton's phrase

Head coach Sean Payton described the game as one of the team's more complete performances, with contributions across all three phases. Denver's offense recorded 377 net yards and rushed for a season-high 159 yards. m:…6817

Special teams added a blocked punt by fullback Adam Prentice in the third quarter. Kicker Wil Lutz extended his extra-point streak to 111 consecutive makes. m:…6817

The depth showed on offense as well. Jonah Coleman returned to action in Week 7 and recorded a career-high 69 scrimmage yards, part of a rushing attack that produced a season-high 159 yards and kept Arizona's defense from settling on a single threat. m:…6817

Nix himself pointed to work still to do, identifying penalties and late-game offensive execution as areas for improvement. That self-assessment fits the tape: even in a two-score win, Denver's staff framed the performance as a step rather than a finished product. m:…9612

The defensive half of the win

The tone was set early. Denver's defense forced a three-and-out on Arizona's first drive of the game, and the unit's red-zone work was consistent with its recent form: Denver's red-zone defense was tied for the seventh-best in the NFL from Week 2 to Week 6. m:…8714

Denver's defense held Arizona to 1 of 5 in the red zone and 5 of 17 on third down, allowing only 1 of 8 third-down conversions in the first half. The unit recorded three sacks of Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett, along with 13 quarterback hits, six tackles for loss and nine passes defensed. m:…8714 m:…6817

The effort came despite Denver missing starting defensive backs Pat Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga. Linebacker Alex Singleton led the team with 19 tackles, and cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian finished with a team-high three passes defensed. m:…8714

For Arizona, the red-zone problem is now a trend rather than a single game. The Cardinals have converted 1 of 10 red-zone chances over the last two weeks and rank last in the NFL in red-zone touchdown efficiency, and their defense allowed three plays of 45 or more yards against Denver. m:…7486

The day had a ceremonial note for the hosts' opponents as well as a statistical one for the visitors: Larry Fitzgerald was inducted into the Cardinals' Ring of Honor with his number 11 retired, and tight end Trey McBride became the second tight end under the age of 27 in NFL history to reach 400 career receptions. Arizona's head coach has taken accountability for the team's play-calling issues, and there will be no quarterback change despite the recent offensive struggles. m:…7486

Denver now heads into a Week 8 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, with a win there enough to move the Broncos into first place in the AFC West. m:…8714 m:…4174