Cheers…

to Nik Bonitto for living up to his $100 million contract he signed back in September. Denver’s latest star edge rusher finished with 1.5 sacks in the 19-3 win over the Chargers, taking him up to 14 on the season and a new career-high for the fifth-year player out of Oklahoma. While Browns star Myles Garrett was busy breaking the NFL’s single-season sack record, Bonitto did enough to get himself back in the top five of the league for a second straight season.

Boo…

Trey Lance for a rough quarterback display. If there was any doubt why the former No. 3 overall pick has been relegated to backup duty on various teams the last few years, Sunday’s showing at Mile High proved exactly why. The former North Dakota State star never truly looked effective in place of regular starter Justin Herbert, who was kept on the sidelines ahead of Los Angeles’ wild-card game next weekend, as Lance finished 20-for-44 passing for 136 yards with one interception and a lost fumble.

Cheers…

to Ja’Quan McMillian for now owning the last two pick-sixes in Broncos history. Denver hadn’t had a pick-six since December 2024, when it had two against the Browns. However, it was McMillian who had the second that night, sealing the win over Cleveland. This time, he got the first and only touchdown of the game, as his 45-yard interception return into the end zone extended the Broncos’ lead to 10-0 in the first quarter. It turns out all they needed against a putrid Chargers offense.

Boo…

Sean Payton and his management of the run game on Sunday afternoon. It seemed early on like the Broncos were going to commit to running the football as a way to grind out the win over L.A., but that was quickly abandoned, likely due to some ineffectiveness by the offensive line. Bo Nix and his various scrambles were enough to lead the team in rushing with 49 yards, but it’s still a mystery why Jaleel McLaughlin (six carries for 41 yards) wasn’t utilized more for an offense that averaged under four yards per carry.