The Denver Broncos orchestrated a wild comeback to defeat them Indianapolis Colts 31-13. With their backs against the wall, they needed several explosive plays to make the difference for the Broncos.

The Broncos got off to a slow start, but the special teams unit and never-say-die defense refused to budge and ultimately took advantage of the tremendous gift Colts running back Jonathan Tayler handed them on a silver platter.

If Taylor had simply held onto the ball a millisecond longer as it crossed the Broncos’ goal line, the Colts might have taken advantage of that momentum. Unfortunately, Indy’s stupid fumble completely flipped the script.

What did we learn from the Broncos’ ninth win of the season? Let’s get to the most important findings from week 15.

Another game-changing return for a touchdown must further Nik Bonitto’s claim to Defensive Player of the Year honors. The time he spent as a security guard in high school paid off in consecutive weeks for Bonitto, who has become a serious weapon for Vance Joseph’s unit.

Without Bonitto’s impetus on his 50-yard fumble that resulted in a touchdown, the Broncos defense’s feeding frenzy in the second half would never have happened. In fact, the defense in the second half was a completely different animal than the sluggish team that looked a bit rusty in the first half after the bye.

Because as exciting as Bonitto’s instinctive game was, Joseph and Co. absolutely cannot rely on the great pass rusher to pull rabbits out of the hat every week. Instead, the group’s goal must be to play a full 60 minutes of intense defensive football while the Broncos are on the rise.

In recent weeks, explosive wideout Marvin Mims Jr. has become increasingly integrated into head coach Sean Payton’s offensive game plan. On Sunday, however, the jump-start Mims provided with a very timely 60-yard punt return made a big difference in the momentum of the game.

By significantly changing his position on the field, Mims paved the way for Bo Nix to get back to his feet when he scored a short touchdown pass to tight end Nate Adkins. When the Broncos were plugged back in by their Pro Bowl returnee, they lit up like a Christmas tree, and that was all she wrote for the Colts.

Going forward, opposing teams will be much more cautious about kicking the ball to Mims, but the Colts learned that lesson far too late to save their season.

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It’s possible that the wheels have finally fallen off Nix’s Offensive Rookie of the Year car. Three interceptions in the box score will be remembered far more by voters than the way the Broncos’ rookie ultimately maintained his composure and balanced the score by throwing three touchdowns.

Of course, Nix and the Broncos managed to bounce back and reach 9-5 on the season and overtake the lead Los Angeles Chargers in the playoff seedings ahead of the upcoming AFC West game on Thursday night. In this case, if Nix threw three picks, Justin Herbert would make the Broncos pay for it.

Payton will likely be grateful that some of Nix’s rookie mistakes were covered up this time, not only by his three passing points, but also by Mims’ explosive returns and the defense’s predatory takeaways. Nix’s initial nerves haven’t been noticeable since he’s navigated the first two weeks of the season, but against the Colts, the standout rookie seemed to apply a little too much pressure at times.

Once the dust settles, we can expect the film review between Payton and his young quarterback to be intensely focused on sorting out the issues in a short week. With those three picks, Nix finished 22 of 30 for 130 yards and three touchdowns. He also led Denver in rushing with 23 yards on eight attempts.

Payton is smart enough to get back to work and figure things out. This is not the time for chaotic overreaction.

Nothing will be okay. But this level of insecurity on the ball is unsustainable.

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