Commanders vs. Broncos highlights, takeaways: Denver escapes OT thriller with win

Survive and advance, a Denver Broncos story.

If there were one thing that defined the 2025 Broncos, it would be that. They are not easy on the eye. They don’t produce endless highlights on offense. They don’t blow teams out. They don’t play a consistent brand of football on offense.

They just win.

Sean Payton’s team has found a way all season long. On “Sunday Night Football” in Week 13, they found their 10th victory and a ninth in a row, defeating the Washington Commanders, 27-26.

Bo Nix didn’t dazzle, but he shined when it mattered most. His opposite number, Marcus Mariota, did whatever he could to drag the home team to a victory for the first time in seven tries, but the magic ran out in overtime.

The Broncos defense has battled all year, and now they have Denver in the AFC’s top spot – at least temporarily, following the Sunday action in Week 13.

For a game that lacked plenty of juice early on, this contest turned into a thriller that gave fans a little bit of everything.

Here’s a look at how it all unfolded between the Broncos and Commanders

Commanders vs. Broncos SNF takeaways

• The Broncos will go as far as the defense takes them: It’s a team that continues to defy logic. In an era dominated by offense, Denver is classic zig to every other team’s zag. It clearly works in the regular season. Even though you can argue that the Broncos aren’t deserving of their 10-2 record, they still have it. The real question is whether they can sustain this in the postseason. Home-field advantage feels like it would be more important for Denver than other teams, but it remains to be seen if the offense can do enough when it matters most.
• Dan Quinn has given the Commanders the blueprint: It would’ve been easy to pack things up at 3-8, having lost six in a row. Quinn’s team didn’t fold and the head coach should be proud of that. His defensive changes have helped Washington find something in the latter part of the season, potentially providing a blueprint for the team to follow this offseason. An infusion of younger talent and health could go a long way toward making this disappointing season an exception rather than the rule.
• Bo Nix’s inconsistencies are a problem: Aside from his heroics in two-minute situations tonight, it has been a rough season for the second-year quarterback. His interception to Bobby Wagner was evidence of that. Without a great running game, Denver’s offense has no choice but to trust the quarterback’s arm. In a playoff game where the margins are so small, that will be an uneasy feeling if this level of play continues.
• Some things are bigger than football: This contest put a bow on Thanksgiving weekend and it’s hard to think that the biggest story is something other than Alex Singleton. There is plenty of time to talk about playoff and draft scenarios, but Singleton’s case was one of life and death. Regardless of the result, it’s impossible not to be happy for the linebacker, who made his return in Week 13 after surgery and treatment for testicular cancer.