The Broncos' loss to the Ravens shows that Denver is not yet an AFC contender

BALTIMORE — It wasn't an exact replica of “The Philly Special,” but the Denver Broncos pulled off one of the most remarkable trick plays of the 2024 season to get within one score of the Baltimore Ravens on the road Sunday.

Bo Nix took the fourth shotgun snap from the 1-yard line and handed it off to Javonte Williams, who turned the ball over to Courtland Sutton. The wide receiver, pivoting across the backfield, floated under his pass attempt enough for the ball to reach the end zone. Nix rose like a receiver and with impressive body control won the jump ball from Ravens safety Marcus Williams before falling over the goal line for a touchdown.

Midway through the second quarter, the Broncos had gotten within 10-7 of the Ravens, who entered the game as clear favorites even though both teams started with the same record (5-3). The final result – a 41-10 win in favor of Baltimore – is evidence of the gulf between the two teams.

The Philly Special Redux came closest, showing just how far Sean Payton's team still has to come before it can compete with the AFC's best. Unfortunately for the Broncos, Nix's touchdown catch was an eye-catching play on an otherwise meaningless day for the entire team.

After the game, Payton said the Ravens defeated the Broncos in all three phases.

“That’s why it’s so important that we bring the right type of players and the right attitude,” said Payton, who went 8-9 in 2023, his first season with the team. “It's not about making any excuses. We were cheered today.”

Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers and the Ravens' offense responded to the Nix touchdown catch – the first time the rookie quarterback caught a touchdown in addition to his eight touchdown throws and four rushing scores – with a touchdown drive over seven plays and 63 yards. They responded again, giving them a two-touchdown lead by halftime.

Nix finished 19 of 33 for 233 yards and an interception, which came on the first pass attempt of the game. Although it wasn't his best throw, the 12th overall pick in the draft deserved less blame than wideout Lil'Jordan Humphrey, who let the ball bounce off his hands and float in the air for Ar'Darius Washington to easily catch.

The Broncos were 6 of 14 on third downs. But Payton was aggressive and kept the offense on the field on fourth downs, and Denver finished the game 1-5. On the first attempt, Nix threw former Oregon teammate Troy Franklin to the ground, which with a cleaner ball would have equaled a touchdown.

“We didn’t score points on several of those fourth downs, and you just never know,” Nix said. “Of course the game could change if you met them. There are a lot of what-ifs in this game, and the fact is we got our asses kicked.”

While he's content to make his first pass in what should be a favorable matchup, Nix also made a few deeper passes on Sunday and can make plays with his legs.

“This quarterback is good,” Ravens linebacker Tavius Robinson said, “and he’s only going to get better.”

This was the case for Nix in nine games. Because he rarely attempted a pass beyond the line of scrimmage against the Seattle Seahawks in his NFL debut, Nix threw the ball further downfield (7.06 air yards per attempt in Weeks 4-8). The Broncos had five plays for 21 yards or more on Sunday, while the Ravens ran seven.

Payton and the Broncos swept the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. A week later, they were the ones playing when Jackson found fullback Patrick Ricard near the goal line on a play-action pass to make it 38-10 with 1:25 left in the third quarter. Jackson finished the game with 280 yards, three touchdowns and a perfect passer rating of 158.3 going 16-of-19.

“I think if you're an older team and you've been in that situation, you can throw it away. I think as a younger team with not as much experience you have to take it as it is, learn from it and grow from it because you don't want to be in that situation again,” Nix said. “You kind of accept the pain and the reality that we didn’t make it today. As a young team you have to find ways to prevent something like that from happening again.”

(This story has been updated to add a photo and gallery.)

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