The Denver Broncos kept the momentum rolling as they steamrolled the Las Vegas Raiders, 34-18, on Sunday. The Denver defense hammered the Raiders so severely that they made a quarterback change, and Bo Nix had his best statistical game as a pro.

When the Broncos are firing on all cylinders, they have the confidence to beat any team in front of them, as proven by their three-game win streak. Denver continues to climb NFL.com’s Power Rankings and has reached the top 15, climbing six spots heading into Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Here’s Eric Edholm’s analysis of the Broncos hitting No. 14, and the sideline interaction between Nix and head coach Sean Payton. 

“Pat Surtain II intercepted both Raiders quarterbacks on Sunday, running the first pick back 100 yards for a touchdown when the Broncos’ offense was still stuck in a rut. That tied the game at 10 apiece, and the Broncos found their groove soon after. Denver’s defense and special teams really set things up nicely with field position in the second half. There’s the potential for things to go awry with a banged-up offensive line heading into a big divisional game against the Chargers, but I wasn’t worried after seeing the Bo Nix-Sean Payton sideline discussion or hearing Payton’s Ferris Bueller quote after the game. First of all, it was funny. Secondly, this is how Payton shows love, I think. He knows that things have turned around to the point where this could be one of the more interesting Broncos seasons in years. If Nix responds, we’ll know he is the right guy for this team. It’s hard not to already think he’s that guy, with the rookie boasting mostly solid play through five games,” Edholm wrote.

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Patrick Surtain ll proved once again that he’s the best corner in the NFL today despite what Pro Football Focus might have you believe. Surtain doesn’t get the love he deserves partly because opposing quarterbacks don’t throw in his direction, and Gardner Minshew and Aiden O’Connell were reminded of why.

Those two interceptions, one being a 100-yard pick-six, put Surtain in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation where he belongs. The defense continues to play at a high level and keep the Broncos competitive, while the offense continues to gel and improve.

Nix showed his competitive fire when he and Payton had a heated discussion on the sideline after Troy Franklin’s dropped touchdown pass. Some may see this as a problem coming from a rookie signal-caller, but Nix showed more competitive spirit and passion for the game than Russell Wilson ever did in Denver.

The willingness to push back and let your coach know you have confidence in yourself is healthy for the coach-quarterback relationship. It’s a massive breath of fresh air from Wilson’s passive and meek attitude that led to his losing favor in the locker room.

Nix is improving each week, and Sunday was no different as he threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. If he and the offense start hotter, this team will be formidable regardless of who it lines up against.

The Broncos will face another AFC West foe at home this week, in the Los Angeles Chargers, who are coming off their bye. If the Broncos can get after a banged-up Justin Herbert and continue to develop on offense, they’ll put themselves in a great position to challenge for the division title. 

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The Denver Broncos are riding a three-game win streak with another AFC West tilt on deck. The Los Angeles Chargers — coming off a bye — are next on the docket, and the Broncos are closely monitoring quarterback Justin Herbert’s status.

Herbert suffered a high-ankle sprain to his right foot in Week 2 and reportedly re-aggravated it the following game. In the Chargers’ Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, he wore an ankle brace.

Returning to practice on Monday following L.A.’s bye, Herbert was seen with that same ankle brace on his right leg, per ESPN‘s Kris Rhim.

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Herbert is tough, and for now, there’s no reason to doubt his availability for Sunday’s tilt vs. the Broncos. But it’s a situation we’ll continue to keep an eye on here at Mile High Huddle.

On the season, Herbert has started all four games for the Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers, passing for just 578 yards and five touchdowns, with one interception. Herbert’s stats are down, whether that’s due to Harbaugh’s offensive vision for the Chargers, or the injury — or a combination of both.

Vance Joseph’s defense will test Herbert’s mobility early and often. The Broncos are one of the most blitz-happy defenses in the NFL. It can be argued that Denver is fielding the NFL’s best defense right now, and one of its hallmarks is pressure — both of the manufactured kind and of the effort variety.

The Broncos are led by rush linebacker Jonathon Cooper’s four sacks, but defensive end Zach Allen has three sacks and the second-most QB pressures in the NFL through five weeks. Herbert’s wherewithal will be put to the test.

We’ll post additional updates on Herbert’s ankle as the week of practice marches on. For now, though, he’s looking like a go for Week 6, even if he is slightly diminished.

It’ll be fun to see how the first iteration of the Bo Nix vs. Herbert throwdown shakes out. The first one will take place in front of the Mile High faithful on Sunday.

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