The Denver Broncos got one of their biggest victories in years on Sunday when they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 21-17, on the road. The Broncos handed the Eagles their first loss of the season in the process, which was their first loss at home since Week 2 of last season.
The last time the Broncos beat the Eagles in Philadelphia was in 1986, when John Elway was the team's quarterback.
The win improves the Broncos' record to 3-2 on the season and the schedule looks quite favorable going forward. This result is going to put the team back into the conversation of Super Bowl contenders this season, which they were in when the season began, only to see things change following back-to-back losses on walk-off field goals.
What a difference a couple of weeks makes. Let's take a look at the players who stood out in this one.
Denver Broncos Week 5 winners and losers
Winners
Bo Nix, QB
Bo Nix did not put up crazy statistics in this game, but he showed the kind of command of the offense that he exhibited during his rookie season while not turning the ball over. He was called for intentional grounding on one play and flagged for it a second time, though the referees decided to pick that flag up. Still, that is better than a turnover.
Nix showed poise in a tough road environment and this is the kind of growth you need to see out of your quarterback.
J.K. Dobbins, RB
Again, the numbers don't jump off the page on the box score, but J.K. Dobbins paced the Broncos' rushing attack by gaining 79 yards on 20 carries. He scored on a two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that started the Broncos' rally.
Courtland Sutton, WR
If the Broncos need a play in the passing game, Nix is going to look for Courtland Sutton. He caught eight passes for 99 yards in this game and made several clutch catches at key points, which, if you take those away, the Broncos definitely don't win this game.
Nix and Sutton have become one of the league's best quarterback-wide receiver combinations.
Nik Bonitto, Edge
Nik Bonitto is one of the best edge rushers in the entire NFL. That's not even an outlandish statement at this point, it's just what it is. Even on the plays he doesn't quite reach the quarterback, he still impacts them in one way or another. He added 2.5 more sacks in this game and the recent prediction of him being this year's Defensive Player of the Year could end up being accurate.
Sean Payton, Head Coach
The decision to go for a two-point conversion that put the Broncos up 18-17 with 7:36 left was not only gutsy, it showed that Sean Payton knows he needs to be aggressive if he wants his team to be considered among the league's best. The old saying "No guts, no glory" exists for a reason, and this was a perfect example of that.
Losers
Riley Moss, CB
It seems clear that every opponent that the Broncos face this season is going to game plan by attacking the side of the field that Riley Moss is covering. While Moss has held his own in certain situations and has the confidence of his head coach, he was exploited many times in this game.
Alex Singleton, LB
Alex Singleton is still flying all over the field and making tackles as he has done throughout his tenure in Denver, but he has some deficiencies that other teams have noticed and are taking advantage of.
He was the player responsible for Saquon Barkley on this play and he was beaten quite badly. The Broncos won in spite of this play, but the team must recognize that Singleton is not very good in certain situations and more depth is going to be necessary.
Jalen Hurts to Saquon Barkley TD
— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) October 5, 2025
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