DENVER— In the second quarter of Denver’s Week 11 game against the Falcons, running back Javonte Williams needed a boost.

Williams was just a few yards from the goal line when he ran into several Atlanta defenders, but it quickly became a two-way battle as several Broncos showed up to help push him into the end zone.

The result was a 14-yard touchdown that extended the Broncos’ lead to double digits, and for rookie quarterback Bo Nix, it was proof that Denver was ready to respond.

“I think this game is kind of the epitome of this week,” Nix said after Sunday’s win. “I think we wanted to overcome an obstacle. He stopped there for a minute and everyone just pushed around him and got him in the end zone. Those are the plays you want to see from an offense and a team.” It almost seems like one united team going for one goal. No one cared who got the touchdown (is a photo of) what This week for us was finding ways to get effort and intensity and maximize the opportunities we have.”

The Broncos entered this week ready to respond in a big way after two tough losses to AFC opponents on the road. After falling to the Ravens in Week 9, Denver looked poised to bounce back and hand the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season, but a blocked last-second field goal attempt instead sent the Broncos home at 5 -5.

But instead of dwelling on the loss, defensive end Zach Allen said the Broncos came to practice Wednesday ready to put the loss behind them and turn their focus to the next opponent.

“I’ve been on teams where it kind of broke your season,” Allen said. “Really, when I say on Wednesday that it all went to Atlanta, it was like it never happened. It was really (fast) flushed, so that’s a really good sign.”

This next-game mentality propelled Denver to a dominant 38-6 victory, marking the team’s largest margin of victory this season. The Broncos set the tone early, scoring on their first offensive possession of the day on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Nix to tight end Nate Adkins. The team later combined touchdown drives on three consecutive offensive possessions to put the game out of reach.

And while the impressive response may have come as a surprise to some, for Head Coach Sean Payton it was a testament to the identity of a team that has shown its ability to bounce back several times this season.

“I think it started early in the week,” Payton said of Denver’s response in Week 11. “It’s still about the players and the makeup. It’s about the things we keep talking about: the grit , the toughness This is a team that – unlike a year ago – has those kinds of things.

The win produced several breakthrough performances across the board, culminating in Nix posting the most productive performance of his career. The rookie quarterback finished the game 28 of 33 for 307 yards, added four touchdowns and posted a passer rating of 145.0.

The Broncos found a rhythm offensively, as wide receivers Marvin Mims Jr. and Lil’Jordan Humphrey both recorded their first touchdowns of the season, rookie Devaughn Vele contributed 66 receiving yards and running backs Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime all got involved in the running game.

Defensively, Nik Bonitto recorded his first game this season with multiple sacks, while rookie Jonah Elliss defeated quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​to record the third sack of his young career.

Denver’s special teams unit also found success, as Mims recorded a 37-yard punt return that ultimately led to rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin’s second touchdown this season.

“I think we’ve all reiterated throughout the year that if we do it the right way, we can beat anyone in this league,” Allen said Sunday of finding success in all three phases of the competition. “Today was a perfect example of that. Hopefully we can build on that and just keep doing it.”

And while wide receiver Courtland Sutton said he never doubted his team would be able to respond the way it did Sunday, seeing it all come together was a sign of even better things to come this season.

“There was no doubt after last week about the belief and confidence in this team,” Sutton said. “It was devastating. It was a heartbreaking loss that we had to endure. But I knew this team would come this week and watch the film on Monday and put it to bed and come the rest of the week.” week ready to go. And that’s exactly what the boys did. We had a really good week of preparation leading up to this weekend, and the boys knew we couldn’t dwell on it too long or it would beat us twice really good vibes, really good feelings, really good energy coming into the week heading into this game, and it was nice to see everything come together today.”