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Nov 30, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton (49) knocks the ball from Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (86) while attempting a catch in the third quarter at Northwest Stadium. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Good, Bad, & Ugly From Broncos' Wild OT Win Over Commanders

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Dylan Von Arx | Last updated Dec 1, 2025 1:35 PM ET

The Denver Broncos continued their heart-attack game plans, eeking out an overtime victory over the Washington Commanders 27-26, after Nik Bonitto batted down what would have been a sure-fire pass for a two-point conversion from Marcus Mariota.

All three phases of the game for the Broncos weren’t perfect, but they managed a win nonetheless to move to 10-2 and back to owning the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC. Unfortunately, there was more bad than good from the Broncos in this one, and we’ll get to these warts, but let’s start with an inspiring performance from a certain linebacker.

The Good: Alex Singleton, The Ironman

Singleton’s six tackles and one pass break-up may not seem like much, but stats never tell the whole story. Just three weeks after having a cancerous growth surgically removed, Singleton was back in the lineup, thumping the Commanders.

Singleton's heart and determination can't be measured in stats or the weight room, but they sure stand out in the eye test. The Broncos have a locker room leader and an inspiration in Singleton, a hallmark of a true Super Bowl contender.

The Bad: Run Game Woes

The Broncos' run game has suffered mightily in J.K. Dobbins' absence, only rushing for 87 yards against the Commanders’ bottom-10 rushing defense. Taking out Bo Nix’s scrambles, the Broncos’ running backs only had 71 yards, with RJ Harvey leading the way with an abysmal 35 yards on 13 carries, averaging 2.7 YPC.

Harvey’s two touchdowns were great to see, but the Broncos need him and the rest of the backfield to be much more consistent in gaining yards so Nix doesn’t have to throw the ball 40-plus times per game. Harvey was drafted in the second round to be an explosive home-run hitter for a Broncos’ run game that lacked any pop on the ground a year ago, but it seems he may not be ready to lead a stable just yet.

The Ugly: Defense Takes a Dip

Outside of Bonitto sealing the game by battling down an easy two-point catch-and-run to Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols, the Broncos' defense had a game to forget. The Broncos’ ferocious defensive line only managed two sacks, one of which should’ve been a tripping penalty on Dondrea Tillman, and surrendered 143 rushing yards.

Dre Greenlaw picked off a pass, but at times, he was out of position and seemed lost, which is a shame after his hot start. The rust fell off in chunks for Patrick Surtain II in his first game back, as Terry McLaurin ended the night with seven catches for 97 yards and a score. However, McLaurin only caught three of the eight targets for just 30 yards against Surtain head-to-head.

Riley Moss had a handful of pass breakups, but getting cooked late in the game on the 38-yard throw to Deebo Samuel, setting Washington up on the Broncos’ two-yard line, was ugly. Credit to Mariota and Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury for having a great game plan, but the Broncos' defense had several opportunities to make game-changing plays before the overtime stop and came up short.

The Takeaway

The Broncos are allergic to dominating teams not named the Dallas Cowboys, but they stay in the win column for the ninth week in a row. At this point in the season, we know that the Broncos are largely inconsistent, but with the game on the line, their defense will make a stop and give Nix a final drive to plunge the dagger into their opponents’ hearts.

Good, bad, or ugly, this team refuses to lose.