Denver, CO
3 Unbelievable Takeaways from Broncos’ Historic Win Over Giants
‘Mile High Magic’ has officially returned to Denver, after fans were treated to a thrilling Week 7 contest that saw a furious fourth-quarter rally by the ‘Orange and Blue.’
After trailing 19-0 in the fourth quarter, the Denver Broncos devised a miraculous comeback, scoring 33 points in the fourth quarter, the most by any NFL team that had previously been shut out in the first three quarters of action.
The 5-2 Broncos beat the 2-5 New York Giants 33-32, furthering their four-game winning streak as Denver remains undefeated at home, undefeated in the month of October, and undefeated against rookie quarterbacks.
The team’s thrilling homecoming win was delivered on the same day that Super Bowl 50 champion and late-receiver Demaryius Thomas was posthumously inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame. The befitting honor was celebrated during alumni weekend, where over 170 former players were welcomed for the largest Broncos alumni reunion in team history.
For Denver, the win propels them to the top of the division with a one-game lead over the 4-3 Los Angeles Chargers and 4-3 Kansas City Chiefs.
Although this game could’ve easily gone in the Giants’ favor, it’s important to give credit where credit is due as the Broncos continue to find ways to win games and surge to the top of the league with a winning record.
Let’s get into three spectacular takeaways from another thrilling Broncos victory.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix couldn’t have played a more bizarre football game than what we witnessed on Sunday. The second-year team captain led an anemic passing offense that endured six punts and one turnover on downs before ever scoring their first set of points in the fourth quarter of action.
Nix would eventually find receiver Troy Franklin on a two-yard touchdown pass just one minute into the fourth quarter, sparking a franchise record for fourth quarter points scored as the Broncos quarterback also tossed a two-point conversion pass to Courtland Sutton just one play later.
While some rolled their eyes at what should’ve been garbage time points for a team that was dominated by New York through most of the game, Nix heated up and led his Denver offense across the finish line. Despite going 27-for-50 for 279 passing yards and two touchdowns, it was Nix’s elite level of athleticism on the ground and competitiveness that allowed him to put the game on his shoulders.
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Nix averaged 9.6 yards per carry with 48 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, proving to Broncos Country why he’s the undeniable, franchise quarterback that this fan base has so desperately been waiting for.
Despite some fans leaving the contest early due to New York’s stranglehold on Denver, Nix earned 218 total yards, four total touchdowns, and overcame a 19-point deficit to lead the Broncos to their third home win.
It’s so blatantly clear that when Nix’s handcuffs are removed from a playcalling perspective, the Broncos offense is not only able to move the football but can score points in dramatic fashion, no matter the odds.
It makes one wonder how good this offense could be if they started out like they finish in the fourth quarter. Perhaps that’s something Nix can get through to his head coach.
After missing six games due to a quad injury, prized defensive free agent addition and linebacker Dre Greenlaw made his Broncos debut against the Giants on Sunday.
He was previously activated off injured reserve and was on a specific snap count for his first regular-season game in Vance Joseph’s top-ranked defense, splitting time with fellow linebacker Justin Strnad.
Greenlaw’s presence was a welcome addition, specifically in run defense, as Denver limited Giants running back Cam Skattebo to a 3.8-yard per carry average with 60 yards rushing, despite allowing a 31-yard rushing touchdown to New York’s Tyrone Tracy. He’d finish the game with one tackle and five assists as the veteran defender found his sea legs in Denver’s stingy defense.
But it was Strnad whose presence ultimately provided a defensive spark for the Broncos down 26-16 with just under five minutes left. Strnad was able to nab a critical interception from Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, which fueled and sustained the momentous Broncos, who had all the game’s energy on their sideline. The lone turnover of the game proved timely for Denver’s comeback rally as the fifth-year veteran has been a consistent playmaker in the wake of Greenlaw’s absence.
Strnad recorded two tackles, two assists, one quarterback hit, and one pass deflection in Denver’s comeback win, proving to be a valuable asset when the chips are down. Suddenly, the Broncos find themselves with a unique problem at inside linebacker as they’ll be tasked with the reallocation of defensive snaps between their prized new addition and old faithful.
Broncos offensive play caller Sean Payton’s bipolar offense has been well-documented since the beginning of the season. Some have called for the veteran coach to ditch his famous play script that dictates specific play calls to begin during the initial sequence of games, while others have overreacted and called for offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi to call the plays.
The fact of the matter is, the offense is called solely under the supervision of Payton, who’ll continue to wear the headset and give Nix the plays so long as he’s the head coach in Denver.
But how should Broncos Country digest this current offense, which was 4-for-13 on third down and didn’t show up until the fourth quarter? Surely this team can’t survive most games by waiting to be productive until the final moments in the fourth quarter.
Despite earning 25 first downs, the Broncos’ run game was never consistent or productive, gaining a total of 142 yards rushing in the entire contest. Despite JK Dobbins averaging 5.8 yards per carry, Payton was hellbent on forcing Nix to throw the football during predictable and ineffective pass plays throughout three quarters of action.
It almost feels as if Payton’s play-calling strengths are revealed as the game progresses, while getting a feel for an offensive attack seems to escape him in the early phases of action. Another bad habit that continues to fester remains with penalties as the Broncos, who were called for a whopping 12 flags, forfeited 127 yards.
Sometimes we’re all guilty of paralysis by analysis and getting in our own heads. At this point, I’m completely convinced that Payton gets in his own way when it comes to calling the perfect play when the Broncos offense initially takes the field.
Instead, I’d encourage someone on the roster, the coaching staff, or in the building to challenge the Broncos veteran head coach to be the best version of himself. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel; sometimes keeping it simple is enough to win games and keep guys believing in themselves and the team.
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Craig Morton, a Broncos Ring of Fame quarterback who played professionally for nearly two decades, died Saturday at his home in Mill Valley, Calif., at the age of 83.
Morton’s family confirmed his death through the organization, which announced the news on Monday.
Morton led Denver to its first Super Bowl appearance in 1977, quarterbacking the team best known for its ferocious Orange Crush defense. That season, at the age of 34, Morton earned the league’s comeback player of the year award and sparked a six-season run with the Broncos.
“He was our leader that year that we went 12-2, the first year he came to Denver,” fellow Broncos Ring of Famer and former safety Steve Foley told The Post. “It was a magical season. He was just tough as nails.”
Morton was hurt throughout the playoffs and Foley said the quarterback was in the hospital before the AFC Championship Game, when the Broncos beat the Oakland Raiders, 20-17, and advanced to their first Super Bowl appearance.
“I don’t know how he even suited up,” Foley said. “He was black and blue and yellow all over his hip. … Man, he came out and had a great game. He was just tough.
“And what a gem of a guy. Oh, yeah. He had the best heart.”
Morton was the first quarterback to lead two different teams to the Super Bowl, taking the Cowboys there in 1970 before later leading the Broncos.
Morton was born in February 1943 in Michigan, but graduated from high school in California and played quarterback in college at Cal. He also played baseball in college. He was selected No. 5 overall by Dallas in the 1965 NFL Draft, five years before the AFL and NFL merged.
Early in his career, Morton started for Dallas over Roger Staubach before Staubach eventually took over the job.
Morton, though, engineered a long and successful career in pro football.
He played in 207 career games over 18 seasons, including 72 games (64 starts) for the Broncos from 1977-82. Morton was 41-23 as a starter and threw for 11,895 yards for Denver.
“He had a confidence about himself. Kind of a swagger,” Foley said. “Our offense picked up when he arrived. We just knew he could win. He brought that to the team. And man, he had an arm. Oh, yeah. He had a gun.”
Morton was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame in 1988 as part of a three-man class along with Haven Moses and Jim Turner. Four years later, he was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Morton’s tenure in Denver helped put the Broncos on the map.
“Absolutely, it did,” Foley said. “It made everybody wake up and say, ‘Who is this team on the interior of the United States?’ Unless you played on the East Coast or West Coast, you weren’t getting much coverage.”
Foley said he last saw Morton in the Champions Club at Empower Field during a game sometime in the past two seasons and said he remembered thinking, ‘Man, he looks great.’” Players from the Orange Crush era were surprised and saddened, then, to learn of the quarterback’s passing.
“It’s a little bit shocking,” Foley said. “He was a beautiful guy.”
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Rocky Mountain sandhill cranes battle warmer conditions due to drought
Wildlife biologist Jenny Nehring and farmer Rob Jones talk about Sandhill cranes and their impact on the San Luis Valley.
DENVER — Zoos are of necessity big gulpers of water, a fact that has some zookeepers in the drying American West working to rapidly upgrade efficiency and reduce unnecessary irrigation or leaks.
Denver Zoo, formally known as the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, has rapidly reduced its demands on threatened and declining water sources, including the Colorado River.
Among the upgrades is a sea lion water filtration system that allows most of the water to be cleaned and reused each time the pool is drained. That’s saving more than 8 million gallons a year, zoo sustainability director Blair Neelands said. “You can get in there, scrub it with a toothbrush and refill it with the same water,” she said.
Similar upgrades to an African penguin showcase reduced its water use by 95% by largely eliminating what’s sent down the drain. (Like a backyard swimming pool, though, these tanks sometimes still need to be drained and refreshed with new water to reduce mineral buildup.)
“The biggest thing for us is swapping from dump-and-fill pools to life-support systems,” Neeland said.
Another biggie is replacement of a 50-year-old water main with funding of about $3 million from the city. There’s no way of knowing how much that pipe had leaked over the years, but Neeland suspected it was more than a million gallons a year. The savings should become apparent as the zoo tracks its water use over the next few years.
Creating hippo-sized water savings
When The Arizona Republic visited in 2025, the zoo was on the cusp of eclipsing a goal to reduce its water use by half of what it had been in 2018. The zoo had used 80 million gallons in 2024, or about 219,000 a day, a 45% reduction in just a handful of years. Much of the savings had come in the form of smarter irrigation practices and use of drought-tolerant native plants where possible. The landscaping also pivoted to recycled “purple pipe” water from the city, which owns the zoo’s land, restricting potable water to areas where animals really need it.
“When people hear ‘recycled water,’ they get worried about cleanliness and hygiene,” zoo spokesman Jake Kubié said. “But it’s safe for the animals, and it’s not their drinking water.”
Getting past the water conservation goal would mean draining the pool where Mahali the hippo spent most hours lurking with just his eyes, ears and snout visible to visitors. Because he spent so much time in the pool, the water needed daily changes. It amounted to 21 million gallons a year, not to mention water heater bills that drove the cost to $200,000 a year, according to zoo officials. They estimated that Mahali used as much water as 350,000 four-person households.
“This facility is outdated,” Kubié said. “Some day this will become a huge saver of water.”
That day came before year’s end, and it indeed brought a tremendous savings. The zoo shipped Mahali to a new home (and a potential mate) at a wildlife preserve in Texas and drained the pool one last time. Ending the daily change-outs shaved more than a quarter of the zoo’s entire water usage from the previous year. It put the zoo significantly beyond its goal.
Denver Zoo’s water savings are part of a broader waste- and pollution-prevention effort aimed at being a good neighbor in uncertain times, Neeland said.
“Water savings and drought is top of mind for anyone who lives in the Western United States,” she said.
In Phoenix, a different mix of animals
That’s true of the Phoenix Zoo, as well, where zookeepers must maintain landscaping and animal exhibits in a city that baked under 100-degree-plus high temperatures for a third of the days last year. The zoo creates a “respite in the desert,” spokeswoman Linda Hardwick said, but has no hippos, penguins, grizzly bears or many of the other species that would require big water investments for outdoor swimming or cooling.
“We really specialize in animals that will thrive in the temperatures here,” Hardwick said.
The Phoenix Zoo uses most of its water on landscaping. After a consultant’s 2023 irrigation assessment, the staff centralized irrigation scheduling under a single trained technician and employed technologies including weather-based controllers and smart meters. Salt River Project awarded $70,000 in grant funds for the upgrades and several thousand more for training.
The zoo uses about 189,000 gallons a day, she said. That represents a 17% reduction from 2023, or 20% when adjusted for the year’s particular weather and evapotranspiration demand.
Brandon Loomis covers environmental and climate issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Reach him at brandon.loomis@arizonarepublic.com.
Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram.
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