Broncos back 'our guy' Bo Nix after 30-16 win over Cardinals; Jaylen Waddle hurt on late reverse

A day after the Denver Broncos beat the Arizona Cardinals 30-16 in Glendale, Arizona, the talk in Denver is less about the score and more about the quarterback. Coach Sean Payton gave Bo Nix a firm vote of confidence after the game, while a late trick play left wide receiver Jaylen Waddle hurt ahead of a big AFC West game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The win lifted Denver to 5-2 and dropped Arizona to 2-5, according to The Associated Press. The Cardinals have now lost 10 straight games at State Farm Stadium.

‘He’s our guy’: Payton on Bo Nix

Nix came into Sunday under heavy criticism. ESPN noted he ranked 31st in QBR (38.2) and 32nd in yards per attempt (5.6) among qualifying quarterbacks before the game. He answered with a 62-yard touchdown run just before halftime, the longest of his career, and finished with 222 passing yards, a touchdown pass and 73 rushing yards.

“He’s our guy,” Payton said, according to ESPN. “I think it answers [the] question can he still run.”

Nix has had two surgeries on his right ankle since fracturing it in a playoff win over Buffalo in January. He had only 22 carries entering Sunday, ESPN reported, and has insisted the ankle is not the reason he has run less.

“You believe me now?” Nix said. “It’s really nice. [Criticism] is just part of it, I guess, until people see it.”

Tackle Garett Bolles was more colorful, telling ESPN that Nix ran “like a freaking gazelle.”

The plays that decided it

Denver had struggled to create big plays all season. ESPN said the Broncos had only 13 plays of 20 or more yards through six games. Against Arizona, the team counted five such plays, according to the Broncos’ official site.

• Bo Nix, 62-yard touchdown run to break a 6-6 tie late in the second quarter.
• A blocked punt by fullback Adam Prentice in the third quarter, followed three plays later by RJ Harvey’s 52-yard touchdown on a screen pass.
• Marvin Mims Jr.’s 47-yard catch to the Arizona 1, which set up J.K. Dobbins’ 1-yard touchdown run for a 27-13 lead.

“We didn’t eliminate the explosives,” Cardinals linebacker Josh Sweat told AP. “That’s really what put the game out of reach for us.”

By the numbers

Figures from the Denver Broncos’ official site.

It was also Denver’s first win by more than one score this season. All four of its earlier wins had been one-score games, the team said. “It was one of our more complete games,” Payton said.

Rookie running back Jonah Coleman, back after missing four games with an ankle injury, had a career-high 69 scrimmage yards. “Juice,” Payton said of what Coleman added. “Got to get him more touches.”

Jaylen Waddle injury and Payton’s ‘awful’ call

The one sour note came late. With Denver up 14 and under five minutes left, Payton called an end-around to Waddle. Waddle bobbled the pitch and was hit by Sweat, and although Denver recovered the fumble, Waddle went to the locker room with a chest injury and did not return, Denver Sports and Broncos Wire reported. He had four catches for 48 yards before leaving.

“Why didn’t anybody ask me about the dumb reverse call?” Payton said at the end of his news conference, according to Denver Sports. “It was awful.”

Waddle had been limited in practice last week with a chest injury. The team has not given a timeline, so his status for next week is unclear. Defensive lineman Zach Allen also left late with a hamstring issue but said after the game, “I’ll be fine.”

Cardinals’ home slump

Arizona’s two wins this season both came at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, AP noted. Its last home win came on Sept. 14, 2025, against Carolina.

“It’s super frustrating,” linebacker Mack Wilson said. “I don’t know what it is. We’ve got to get it figured out.”

Coach Mike LaFleur on Nix’s run: “The guys were in coverage and had their backs turned, and the seas just parted.”

“We were juiced up to get a win at home,” quarterback Jacoby Brissett said. “It’s just tough that’s the outcome.”

What’s next

• Broncos: host the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday in an AFC West matchup.
• Cardinals: visit the Dallas Cowboys (2-4) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, Nov. 1.

FAQ

Earlier coverage: Broncos vs. Cardinals: Bo Nix runs 62 yards for a TD and throws another as Denver leads in Arizona (Oct 25)