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Jeff Legwold
LANDOVER, Md. — From his vantage point, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix could see that the Denver defense — specifically its best pass rusher, Nik Bonitto — just might be in position to preserve an overtime win even before the Washington Commanders snapped the ball.
Turns out Nix was right, as Bonitto swatted away Marcus Mariota’s pass on a two-point conversion attempt to secure a 27-26 Broncos victory in overtime Sunday night.
«I knew what defense we were in and I kind of figured out the play, so I knew what was happening,» Nix said of watching the game’s final play unfold from the Broncos’ bench area. «I think the guy might have been open, but Nik did a great job of making that play.»
In a topsy-turvy game Washington tied on the last play of regulation, the Commanders answered the Broncos’ touchdown drive to open overtime with an 11-play, 65-yard TD drive of their own, as wide receiver Terry McLaurin caught a 3-yard scoring pass from Mariota on fourth-and-3.
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As the Commanders lined up for the two-point conversion, the Broncos took a look at the offense’s alignment and called timeout. It was during that timeout, coach Sean Payton said, that Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph decided to tweak the defensive call in the hopes Bonitto would have an opportunity to make a play.
«We call it a Kodak situation … we called a timeout, regroup, collect your thoughts,» Payton said. «The challenge in those plays are designed QB runs, which we were concerned with — we went from one pressure to another.
«There was going to be a free rusher if you pressure the way we did. You don’t know who’s going to be the free rusher … (but) they left Nik free and the timing and everything was great.»
The Broncos were tightly bunched before the snap with all 11 defenders within four yards of the line of scrimmage. And Bonitto was lined up wide to defensive right, well outside the left shoulder of Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
As the Commanders tried to sort out the six rushers Joseph had sent at Mariota, Bonitto was left unblocked. He closed quickly on Mariota, leaped as Mariota threw, and knocked away the pass with his right hand, the same hand he has worn a cast on to play in games since Week 3.
It looked like McLaurin had broken free as Mariota set to throw.
«The DC Vance was doing a good job mixing up zero and showing zero (blitzes) and dropping out,» Mariota said. «And then on the two point he brought zero — I knew I had to try to get some depth and give our guy a chance. He made a play on it and that’s the way it goes.»
«I knew he was buying time,» Bonitto said. «The timeout kind of helped calm us down a little bit and be able to get what we were able to get into and get a stop.»
The Broncos, especially Payton, believed they had actually preserved the win nine snaps earlier — on a fourth-and-6 from the Denver 41-yard line. Safety Brandon Jones had intercepted a deflected pass, but the play was nullified by a pass interference penalty on safety Talanoa Hufanga.
Payton, because he thought the game was over, pulled off his headset and pack he has clipped to his belt during the game for the coach-to-quarterback communication device.
«(That’s) the first time for me in I don’t know how many years as a head coach where I took (off) the quarterback to helmet (radio),» Payton said. «We didn’t get the sack, interference was called — it’s never happened before.»
The win was the Broncos’ ninth straight, their longest win streak since they won 11 in a row to close out the 2012 regular season. It was also the sixth game they’ve played this season decided on the last play; they are 4-2 in those games.
ESPN’s John Keim contributed to this report.
