Broncos Rally to Stun Eagles, Hand Philly First Loss of the Season with 21-17 Comeback Victory

Matt Slocum/AP

The Denver Broncos delivered a statement win on Sunday, rallying from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the previously undefeated Philadelphia Eagles, 21–17, at Lincoln Financial Field. Led by rookie quarterback Bo Nix and head coach Sean Payton, the Broncos (3–2) stunned the reigning Super Bowl champions (4–1) and snapped the Eagles’ ten-game winning streak. Denver entered the fourth quarter trailing 17–3 before scoring 18 unanswered points to secure the victory. Quarterback Bo Nix completed 9 of 10 passes for 126 yards in the final period, including an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Evan Engram. Running back J.K. Dobbins added a two-yard rushing touchdown, and kicker Wil Lutz sealed the win with a 36-yard field goal in the final minutes. Payton’s team also benefited from a costly penalty on the Eagles late in the game. A fourth-down conversion from Jalen Hurts to DeVonta Smith was called back due to an illegal shift by running back Saquon Barkley. The Eagles were forced to punt, and Denver capitalized.

With the victory, Payton recorded his 173rd career win, surpassing his mentor Bill Parcells on the NFL’s all-time wins list. “You don’t get a chance to play these games that have a ton of upside,” Payton said in his postgame interview. “Now don’t get me wrong, there’s downside, but there’s a ton of upside relative to defining what you become. And this is one of them”.

Hurts threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns, including a 47-yard strike to Barkley, but his final pass—a desperation heave with seconds remaining—was batted down by the Denver defense, ending the game. Smith led the Eagles with eight catches for 114 yards. “We’ve got to get on the same page and continue to be on the same page,” Smith said. The win adds momentum for a Broncos team that has now won two straight games and will head to London next week to face the New York Jets. The Eagles, meanwhile, will try to bounce back at home against division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys.