Denver Broncos 26, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7: Three satisfying findings

The third week’s game against Tampa Bay Buccaneers started a two-game away tour for the Denver BroncosThe Broncos will be on the road for the next 10 days to play a game in Week 4 at New York Jets.

In Tampa, Denver was a clear underdog as the winless away team faced a 2-0 Bucs team in the sweltering Florida heat and humidity. Sean Payton and Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles have one thing in common: They come from the coaching pedigree of Bill Parcells. But Payton had the upper hand as a head coach or defensive coordinator with a convincing 8-0 record against Bowles' defense.

On Sunday, Payton's clueless Broncos defeated the Bucs in Tampa, 26-7, against all odds, giving Payton nine straight games against Bowles. For the first time in what feels like forever, we'll reflect on three beautiful and satisfying takeaways from a Broncos win – their first of the season – as clear underdogs on the road.

I admit I wasn't expecting such an upset win for a Broncos offense that has been atrocious in its first two weeks of losses. But Bo Nix's performance and Payton's plays finally gelled from the first drive, which culminated in a six-play, 70-yard touchdown drive capped off by the rookie quarterback's second rushing score of the season.

The first-round rookie from Oregon showed improved footwork and vision, scanning the field and making throws from inside the pocket, finding nine different receivers by the end of the game.

On Denver's second possession, Nix and Co. scored another rushing touchdown on Jaleel McLaughlin's one-yard run, the first touchdown by a Broncos running back this season. Payton's involvement in the running game finally took the crushing pressure off his rookie playmaker, allowing Nix to throw out of the pocket and evade the pressure.

While Nix is ​​still waiting for his first passing touchdown as a pro, the Week 3 win was the first game in which he neither threw an interception nor lost the ball. He showed tremendous composure in a hostile environment and showed for the first time in three weeks that the NFL is not too much for him.

In his first NFL win, Nix completed 25 of 36 passes for 216 yards and ran nine times for 47 yards and a touchdown. Payton's offense totaled 352 yards and had the best time of possession, 32-08 to Tampa's 27-52.

Javonte Williams' lone fumble was the only turnover of the day, as Payton's reliance on his special teams paid off, as Wil Lutz sank 4 of 4 field goal attempts. So this is what an NFL offense looks like. Before anyone plans a parade, let's hope we see it two weeks in a row.

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One of the main reasons Nix had the best game of his young career was because the Broncos' offensive line shielded them to protect him. Nix took two sacks per game in consecutive losses and was never sacked at all against a stubborn and tough Bucs defense.

Right tackle Alex Palczewski made his first career start, filling in for Mike McGlinchey, who was placed on the injured list last week with an MCL injury, and held up well against Tampa's pass rush. While the Broncos' O-line wasn't perfect and Tampa was still able to put pressure on the quarterback, the entire unit played improved football, seemed prepared for pre-snap blitzes and communicated regularly with each other about their assignments.

Behind that starting lineup, Payton's offense had a somewhat successful running attack for the first time this season, rushing for a season-high 136 yards. In addition, Denver's offense posted a season-high 18 first downs, 10 of which came from the running attack.

The effective running game also hit its stride, with McLaughlin scoring an impressive touchdown that saw him outsmart his opponents and run the ball around the corner to score. The Broncos averaged a whopping 4.9 yards per play, giving a group that was on the wane at the start of the season some much-needed momentum and confidence.

Finally, Payton's rallying cry to his team to help Nix paid off in an impressive team victory, with their offense in top form heading to New York.

Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's unit continued to show why it is the strength of the football team by limiting Mayfield and the Bucs' offense to just one score. Tampa's lone touchdown came on a five-yard pass from Broncos second-year cornerback Riley Moss to wide receiver Chris Godwin late in the second quarter.

Ironically, Joseph's defense conceded a similar one-time five-yard touchdown pass in Week 2 and has proven resilient and tenacious over the past two games. But aside from that one touchdown play, there hasn't been much positive for the Bucs' offense due to Denver's relentless attacking style.

One of my Key to victory Against Tampa, it was for the Broncos pass rushers to hit and hurt Mayfield, and Denver's defenders destroyed him with a total of seven sacks. Dondrea Tillman, who just promoted added to the 53-man roster three days ago, led the team with three QB hits and two sacks for -18 yards.

Jonathon Cooper, Zach Allen, Nik Bonitto, John Franklin-Myers and Devon Key each had a sack and a total of nine hits against Mayfield.

Safety Brandon Jones is the star of the Broncos' new defensive backfield. He recorded two turnovers, one interception and one fumble recovery in the game and is also the team's third-leading tackler.

Another key to my win was that Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II won his matchup against Mike Evans, which was an understatement in this game. Evans was only targeted three times and caught two passes for just 17 yards. On the other hand, Moss held Godwin to just six pass catches for 53 yards and the only touchdown of the game.

In a crucial Week 3 game where the Broncos offense finally held up its end of the bargain, Joseph's defense stayed true to its claim to be the strength of the team. The Broncos defense should be excited about the offense's progress this week, which could produce a motivated unit ready to take on Aaron Rodgers, Nathaniel Hackett and the Jets next week.

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