Cody Barton recovers a Spencer Rattler fumble and takes it 52 yards to the house to extend Denver's lead. Jeff Legwold is a senior writer who covers the Denver Broncos and the NFL at ESPN. Jeff has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years, joining ESPN in 2013. He also assists with NFL draft coverage, including his annual top 100 prospects. Jeff has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999. He has attended every scouting combine since 1987.
The Broncos did that Thursday, collecting their fourth of the season, 33-10. And they did it with a familiar formula -- defense, turnover-free play from rookie quarterbackThe Broncos also leaned into their run game, topping 200 yards rushing for good measure. It is their best record after seven games since they were 5-2 in 2016. Next up: They will welcome Carolina at home on Oct. 27.The Broncos will take a 4-3 record, but the slow starts continue.
But the health of the Saints is just one of the problems for a team that has no quick fix in sight. The Saints were blown out for the second week in a row and scored only 10 points against the Broncos and former coach Sean Payton. The Saints have now lost five in a row and have been outscored 60-10 in the last six quarters. They'll face theThe defensive effort. The Saints' defense was once the backbone of this team, but they've been getting worse by the week and entered this contest last in total defense. Former All-Pro defensive backdidn't mince words at halftime when he discussed the overall effort on Prime Video:"They don't want to tackle. They don't want to make plays.