The Denver Broncos entered Sunday knowing they controlled their own playoff destiny, and with the Kansas City Chiefs sitting their starters, all signs pointed to them getting the job done at home.
Bo Nix did more than just secure the win. He threw for four touchdowns in the 38-0 rout of the Chiefs to earn the AFC’s No. 7 seed. With that, the Broncos are the last team in the NFL to earn a spot in the playoffs.
As Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and more watched from the sideline in what will be almost a month’s worth of rest when they finally get to play again as the AFC’s No. 1 seed, Nix was going to work right away against a Chiefs defense that also had key players on the bench.
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The Broncos needed just six plays to go 70 yards as Marvin Mims Jr. scored the game’s first touchdown on a perfectly executed screen play for 32 yards to make it 7-0 off the rip.
What ensued was two more touchdown drives to make it three in a row for Nix, who found Courtland Sutton from 10 yards out and then led an 11-minute drive that was capped by Devaughn Vele somehow snagging a tipped pass for a three-yard score. It came on the 18th play of the drive and made it a 21-0 game.
Meanwhile, Carson Wentz, starting in place of Mahomes, couldn’t get a single thing going against a stingy Broncos defense that forced two three-and-outs to start the game. Then, after getting some yards, the Chiefs missed a field goal from 51 yards out when Harrison Butker went wide left.
That was the closest the Chiefs came to scoring any points. They went punt, punt, turnover-on-downs and punt in the second half.
On the other hand, Nix wasn’t done throwing points up on the board, and it came in the form of another Mims touchdown, this time from seven yards away.
To add to their lead, the Broncos had Audric Estime run in from one yard out to cap a victory that sent the Mile High crowd into a frenzy, knowing they had finally clinched a playoff spot.
In the box score, Nix was an impressive 26-of-29 for 321 yards with his four touchdown passes, and his top target was someone with one of those Week 18 incentives.
Sutton needed 82 receiving yards to cash a $2 million incentive, and he did so by finishing with 98 on five receptions, including a 47-yard bomb from Nix as his first reception of the game.
Nix also led the Broncos in rushing with 47 yards on seven carries.
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