DENVER (AP) — Bo Nix threw for four touchdowns, rookie R.J. Harvey scored three times and the Denver Broncos routed the Dallas Cowboys 44-24 on Sunday for their fifth consecutive victory.
J.K. Dobbins ran for 111 yards on 15 carries and the Broncos (6-2) also got big performances from rookies Pat Bryant and Jahdae Barron as they extended the NFL’s longest home winning streak to nine games.
Bryant scored his first touchdown and Barron picked off Dak Prescott for his first career interception.
Despite two TD runs from former Denver running back Javonte Williams, the Cowboys (3-4-1) lost for the eighth straight time to the Broncos, whom they haven’t beaten since the heyday of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin in 1995.
The Broncos, who lost star cornerback Pat Surtain II to a shoulder injury just before halftime, won the toss and chose to receive, a decision that backfired when Nix threw right at cornerback Trikweze Bridges, whose interception set up Brandon Aubrey’s short field goal.
Excluding a kneel-down at halftime, the Broncos scored on seven of their next eight possessions.
Nix led Denver on four TD drives for a 27-10 halftime lead, and his second TD toss to Troy Franklin made it 37-17. His 5-yarder to Harvey made it 44-17.
Harvey took a pitch from Nix and went 40 yards for Denver’s first touchdown. Then, Nix found Franklin for a 25-yard score that gave Denver a 14-3 lead.
After Williams knifed in from a yard out to pull Dallas to 14-10, Harvey took a direct snap and scored from a yard out. Nix followed that with a 24-yard, over-the-shoulder strike to Bryant for a 27-10 halftime advantage.
It looked as though Aubrey was going to get a shot at a long field goal, maybe even a record-breaker before Prescott was picked off by Barron with 12 seconds left in the first half.
Williams’ second 1-yard TD run pulled Dallas within 27-17 in the third quarter.
Nix was 19 of 29 for 247 yards with the four TDs and one interception. Prescott was 19 of 31 for 188 yards and was intercepted twice.
Including their 33-point fourth quarter last week to stun the Giants, the Broncos have outscored their opponents 77-37 over their last five quarters.
Injuries:
Cowboys: S Alijah Clark left with injured ribs in the second half.
Broncos: Surtain, the reigning defensive player of the year, suffered a lower right leg injury in the first quarter but returned. He injured his left shoulder on a tackle just before halftime and was ruled out in the third quarter. … TE Nate Adkins (knee) left in the fourth quarter.
Up next
Cowboys: Host Arizona on Monday, Nov. 3.
Broncos: At Houston next Sunday.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
