Broncos Clip Eagles' Wings In Stunning 4th Quarter Comeback

By Peter Mann

Having already touched base in this, week five, with the Thursday Night Football clash between Los Angeles Rams and the hosting San Francisco 49ers, the decision was made to go again over the weekend, and where better than the fall of the previously unbeaten, defending Super Bowl champions.

At their Lincoln Financial Field stadium, the Super Bowl champions, Philadelphia Eagles, put their 12-game, unbeaten home record on the line against the then, 2-2, Denver Broncos, and found themselves on the end of a shock result.

Eagles Head Coach, Nick Siriani, is in just his fifth season, both in the league, and in Philly, registering just 52 games (including this one), but has won two NFC East titles, two NFC Conference titles, and, in 2024, shocked the Kansas City Chiefs by winning Super Bowl LIX.

His opposite number, the Broncosā€™ Sean Payton, has had a lengthy, NFL career, coaching over 170 games first for New Orleans Saints (2006-11, 2013-21), winning seven NFC South titles, an NFC Conference title, and in 2009, Super Bowl XLIV, against Indianapolis Colts.

Both now have themselves a top-notch quarterback in Jalen Hurts (Eagles) and Bo Nix (Broncos), they at differing stages of their respective careers, alongside a supporting cast the envy of a number of fellow franchises.

However, it was to be the boot of Broncos kicker, Wil Lutz, who got the points-scoring underway, with the visitorsā€™ only score of the first quarter; a scoring drive which also consisted of a fourth down penalty decision, and an overturned fumble, was finished with a 55yd FG.

The Eagles levelled proceedings with one of their own, in the closing seconds of the opening quarter, this time Jake Elliott finding his range with a 31yd FG of his own; however, the Midnight Green & Silver would also find themselves struck down by injury, losing both guard Landon Dickerson, and tight end Grant Calcaterra, to a rolled left ankle and an injured midsection respectively.

Unbowed though, the Eagles began to fly and added a pair of scores either side of half-time with first tight end Dallas Goedert catching a close-range pass from Hurts, with a short right pass on a 1st-and-Goal halfway through the quarter, Elliott adding the extra point for a comfortable lead at the half.

The first half would also mark the most passing yards heā€™s registered this season with 138yds; that lead was extended early in the third quarter after Hurts threw a stunning pass for running back Saquon Barkley over 47yds, completing a quick-fire, 4 pass, 74yd scoring drive, Elliottā€™s extra extending the Eaglesā€™ lead to fourteen points.

For star running back, Barkley, he having joined the Eagles in a blockbuster deal in March last year, the score against the Broncos, in what was his 97th career game, was his longest pass reception as an Eagle.

And then the contest changed on a sixpence, Payton and the Broncos, in a devastating fourth quarter, pulled ahead to claim a stunning, signature victory after an incomplete Hurts pass, on the buzzer, sent the Broncos galloping wild into the night.

Early in the fourth the Sunset Orange/Midnight Navy Broncos got themselves back into contention following running back Jā€™Kaylin ā€˜J.K.ā€™ Dobbinsā€™ 25th career rushing TD score from close, and suddenly it was a one-score game.

Midway through the fourth quarter and the Broncos had pegged the Eagles back when Bo Nix released his TD pass, down the middle, for tight end Evan Engram to, having regained his balance, make a quick dive for the end zone.

On the back of this, Payton and Nix went for it, and threw it all in for a 2-point conversion attempt, Nix connecting with wide receiver Troy Franklin, from eleven yards, and with it, a Broncos lead, they having posted fifteen, unanswered points, in just five-and-a-half minutes.

For Franklin, his drafting to the Broncos, in the fourth round of the 2024 draft, reunited him with his former Oregon Ducks quarterback, Bo Nix, he being a first-round pick in the same draft.

A fun fact for Franklinā€™s first-ever NFL/Broncos score, in week six of the 2024 season, against the Los Angeles Chargers, every player who touched the ball on the scoring play was a former Duck, the football being first snapped by center Alex Forsyth (drafter by the Broncos in 2023), before being thrown by Nix to Franklin.

The Chargers won that game 23-16 and their quarterback, another former Duck in Justin Herbert (2020 first round draft pick) ā€“ the Broncos were actually 23-points down going into the fourth quarter in that one, so comebacks have a thing for the Denver franchise.

Back to the ā€˜brushing asideā€™ of the Eagles, the Broncos fully ā€˜clipped their wingsā€™ as the contest headed towards to closing minute when, having begun with the boot of Lutz, finished with the boot of Lutz.

This time a 36yd FG attempt was made by the Broncos kicker, who is in his ninth season in the league (would be ten but missed 2021 through injury); formerly of the New Orleans Saints, Lutz was traded to the Broncos in 2023 and his stats of 2/2, 55lng, 1/1PAT was enough to help the Broncos bust out a stunning victory.

Speaking of statistics, the following was registered by the Eagles ā€“ Jalen Hurts 23/38, 280yds, 2TDs (pass); Saquon Barkley 58yds, 1TD (rec); Dallas Goedert 19yds, 1TD (rec)

Replying for the Broncos, then the following was registered ā€“ Bo Nix 24/39, 242yds, 1TD (pass); Jā€™Kaylin Dobbins 20 carries, 79yds, 1TD (rush); Evan Engram 33yds, 1TD (rec)

The comeback was made even more possible by the link-up play between Broncos quarterback, Nix, and their other wide receiver, Courtland Sutton; the second-round draft pick from the SMU Mustangs in 2018, and now in his eighth season, caused much havoc and ruffled plenty of Eagles feathers in that fourth quarter.

The 4-1 Eagles will look to get back to winning ways when they open this coming weekends games, at the MetLife Stadium, home of the 1-4 New York Giants, meanwhile the 3-2 Broncos head to London to face the other New York franchise, the 0-5 Jets, on Sunday afternoon.

PETER MANN

NFL ANALYST

PETER IS A LIFELONG SPORTS FAN, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR BASED IN COUNTY DURHAM. HE HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL AND THE RAIDERS SINCE THE 1980s, AND LOVES BOTH SPORTS AND FAMILY HISTORY. PETER HAS A DEGREE IN SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY, AND CAN BE FOUND ON TWITTER @petermannwriter

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