DENVER (AP) — Bo Nix set career bests by completing 85% of his passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns Sunday. Yet it was Javonte Williams' 14-yard touchdown run that really delighted the Denver Broncos' rookie quarterback.
Williams got a push into the end zone from a half-dozen of his teammates after being stood up at the 5-yard line by former teammate Justin Simmons, and the Broncos rolled past the Atlanta Falcons 38-6 on Sunday.
“No one play ever defines any game,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “(But) that was a great-effort play by those guys and not a great-effort play by us. You've got to give those guys a lot of credit for playing hard, playing physical. And they absolutely went out there and beat us today with their effort and their physicality, and that was a key to the game.”
Game-defining or not, Nix suggested Williams' TD run summarized the Broncos' resolve following last week's gut-wrenching loss at Kansas City in which the Chiefs blocked a game-winning field goal try as time expired.
Simmons tried to stop Williams at the 5-yard line, holding his ground for a second or two as reinforcements arrived from both teams for a shoving match that resembled a rugby scrum.
“My feet came off the ground and I was still moving,” Williams said. “I said is must be Quinn (Meinerz). It was a collective effort. I felt like everybody played well today on both sides of the ball.”
That shove into the end zone isn't something they practice, Williams said.
“Naw, they just saw me and Justin 1-on-1,” he said. “We kind of stalemated and after that the cavalry came.”
And they shoved Williams, Simmons and the rest across the goal line to complete the scoring run that gave Denver a tone-setting 14-3 lead.
“I think that play is kind of the epitome of this week,” Nix said. “Those are the plays that you love to see from an offense — one united team that's going for one goal. ... Just keep fighting and finding ways to get the touchdown.”
Nix, who was 28 of 33, joined Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as the only rookie QBs in NFL history to throw for 200-plus yards with two or more touchdowns in four consecutive home games. And he joined Dak Prescott (2016) as the only rookies to post four games with a 70% or better completion rate with multiple touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Broncos (6-5) snapped a two-game skid and made it an unhappy homecoming for Simmons, who spent his first eight seasons in Denver before the Broncos unloaded his $18.5 million salary last winter. Simmons signed a one-year, $7.5 million deal with the Falcons (6-5), who have lost two in a row.
“I’ve got to find a different way to get him down," said Simmons, who had five tackles and decided against throwing Williams to his left or right, lest he end up getting twisted and throwing him across the goal line.
“So I’m trying to just drive my feet,” Simmons said. “I probably could have knifed him. But in my head, I’m the last line of defense. I’m just trying to drive it back.”
Simmons called that play “a little sample size” of Denver's domination Sunday.
Nix provided the main course with touchdown throws of 12 yards to tight end Nate Adkins and speedster Marvin Mims Jr. as Denver took a 21-6 halftime lead. In the second half, he hit fellow rookie and Oregon alum Troy Franklin from 7 yards out and Lil'Jordan Humphrey with a 41-yarder that capped the scoring and ended Nix's day as backup Jarrett Stidham cleaned up.
Penix sighting
With the game out of hand, Falcons rookie Michael Penix Jr. replaced Kirk Cousins (18 of 27 for 173 yards, no TDs and one interception). Penix promptly completed a 20-yard pass to Ray-Ray McCloud III. Penix finished 2 of 4 for 24 yards.
Sweet sweep
The Broncos swept the NFC South by a cumulative 125-37. It marks Denver's first sweep of a division since they went 4-0 against the NFC North in 2015. Asked if he just had institutional knowledge of his old division or was on some sort of revenge tour, Denvder coach Sean Payton retorted, “No, no, no. I mean, look, we're just focused on winning. I could say something smart but I'm not going to.”
Elliss & Elliss
Kaden Elliss had nine tackles for Atlanta but was upstaged by his little brother, Jonah Elliss, who had a key sack for Denver along with a quarterback hit and a tackle for loss.
Injuries
Falcons CB Kevin King was ruled out in the second quarter with a concussion and WR Darnell Mooney pulled a hamstring in the third quarter. Atlanta ruled out eight players before the game, including several starters on defense. ... In the fourth quarter, DL Zach Harrison went out with a knee injury and WR Casey Washington walked off to the locker room with an unspecified injury after a deep incompletion.
Broncos S Brandon Jones (abdomen), who replaced Simmons in free agency, was ruled out and replaced by Devon Key, who had four tackles.
Up next
Falcons: Host the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 1 following their bye week.
Broncos: At Las Vegas next Sunday.
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