Sean Payton gets first Broncos win, Denver’s huge rally tops Bears

Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos finally found a win.

And they did it in dramatic fashion.

Down 28-7 in Chicago and looking left for dead, the Broncos scored 24 straight points to stun the Bears by a final score of 31-28. Nik Bonitto played his best game in a Denver uniform, sacking Justin Fields with the team down 28-21 and forcing a fumble. Jonathon Cooper scooped and scored to tie things up.

The Bears then moved the football, but inexplicably didn’t kick a field goal on fourth-and-one deep in Broncos territory and Denver got the stop. Russell Wilson hit Marvin Mims Jr. for a long completion and kicker Wil Lutz booted through a 51-yard field goal to give them the lead.

Chicago once again made plays in the final minute, but an interception by Kareem Jackson of Fields ended the game. The Broncos improved to 1-3, while the Bears are now 0-4.

After the game, Payton was happy to earn a victory and potentially save the season… for now.

“Hopefully it’s the first of many relative to where we’re going. We just have a lot of work to do, still. But we can enjoy it and these guys can enjoy it,” Payton said.

The Denver defense did make Fields look like Patrick Mahomes at times, with his only incompletion in the entire first half coming on a Hail Mary. He didn’t throw another one until the fourth quarter. But they buckled down when needed and made a couple of huge plays to earn the win.

Fields finished 28-35 for 335 yards and a career high four touchdowns. A week after giving up 70 to the Miami Dolphins, Vance Joseph’s bunch did not look good until the fourth quarter, but it was enough to save his job in the short term.

On offense, Russell Wilson threw for three touchdowns, but the Broncos once again went long stretches without moving the football. They did rally, doing enough down the stretch to get back into the game and ultimately into field goal range when it mattered most.

Jaleel McLaughlin continues to look like the team’s best running back, scoring a shifty touchdown in the first half and rushing seven times for 72 yards. He had more opportunities after Javonte Williams hurt his hip in the first half and didn’t return.

For Payton, this victory is massive. Broncos Country was growing impatient, and it’ll cool things down for at least a little bit. However, the team might have cost themselves a shot at the No. 1 overall pick, something a lot of fans were clamoring for.

Still, it’s Oct. 1, and the 2023 Broncos remain relevant. That’s a good thing.

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