The Denver Broncos extend their winning streak to nine games after defeating the Washington Commanders in OT. It wasn’t pretty. Far from it. But they got the job done. After the game, head coach Sean Payton did not sound like a man who was happy with what he saw from his team.

“It was one of those frustrating nights running the ball,” the head coach said.

He added that the Commanders did some things to prevent the Broncos’ run.

Truthfully, it’s hard to argue the Broncos deserved this one more than Washington did. If the Commanders don’t botch the two-point try in overtime, we’re probably talking about the streak ending at eight. Washington outplayed Denver in just about every measurable category: first downs (30–23), total yards (419–402), rushing yards (143–87), and time of possession.

The Broncos’ ground game was held together mostly by RJ Harvey, and even he couldn’t get going. He finished with 35 yards on 13 carries. But he did punch in two touchdowns, including the one that ultimately won the game. Sometimes that’s enough. It was tonight.

And the game followed a familiar script. The defense held up. The offense had a couple of stretches where it looked sharp, then went dark for long stretches. The running game never found a pulse. Bo Nix mixed some impressive throws with a handful that made Payton shake his head. And when it was all over, they walked off with yet another win in a tight game.

That’s the real story of this streak: the mindset. Denver keeps surviving these coin-flip moments. Most teams don’t. The Broncos do. It’s not always pretty, but they’ve figured out how to close. And for all the frustration about the run game, there was one clear positive: Bo Nix’s evolution is clear.

Sean Payton clears stance on Bo Nix

If you’ve watched Bo Nix week to week, it’s hard to push back on the idea that he’s growing into the job. After a choppy September, he’s settled in, piling up 2,421 yards on 61.2 percent passing with 18 touchdowns. He’s playing the most poised football of his young career, and Denver keeps cashing in because of it.

Nix threw for 321 yards with a touchdown and a pick, guiding the AFC West-leading Broncos (10–2) to yet another one-score win, their eighth of the year. And once again, when the game tightened in the fourth quarter and into overtime, he delivered. That was his sixth game-winning drive in the final frame or OT this season, more than anyone else in the league.

Still, the errors creep in. His interception to Bobby Wagner was the kind you circle in film review. Without a reliable run game to lean on, Denver has to live with the ball in Nix’s hands. That’s fine in December, but when January arrives and everything shrinks, it’s fair to wonder how thin that line becomes.

Even so, for a sophomore still learning how fast NFL nights can get, he’s ahead of schedule. Expecting much more right now would be pushing it.

As for the Broncos, the larger question remains: can this formula hold? Winning close every week is a dangerous way to live, but nine straight is nine straight. Plenty of teams would trade places. At some point results matter more than style, and Sean Payton has clearly embedded something into this locker room that’s even stronger than Bo Nix or their defense: a winning mentality.