Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos collected their fourth straight win after defeating the Minnesota Vikings 21-20 on Sunday Night Football. For Payton, one simple stat was the deciding factor in the game: the number of turnovers for each team.
The Vikings suffered three turnovers — Joshua Dobbs threw an interception and lost a fumble, plus a lost fumble from Alexander Mattison. The Broncos, meanwhile, avoided turning the ball over, winning the takeaway battle three to zero in what Payton called the “trump card” of the win, per The DNVR's Zac Stevens.
The win got the Broncos back to .500, a stark turnaround for a team that began the season 1-5 and was making history for how badly they were performing on defense.
In Week 3, the Broncos surrendered 70 points to the Miami Dolphins. During its current win streak, the team has given up a grand total of 68 points, even having faced Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
Vance Joseph's unit has been a pack of ballhawks in recent weeks. Denver has now forced 12 takeaways across its last three games.
Wilson steps up
QB Russell Wilson also had his best game in weeks. Payton had asked his QB to throw less frequently in recent games, failing to attempt 30 passes since a Week 5 loss to the New York Jets. But against the Vikings, Wilson threw 35 times, completing 27 passes for 259 yards.
Wilson's lone TD pass of the game came in the nick of time. He hit a leaping Courtland Sutton from 15 yards out to give the Broncos a one-point lead that would prove the difference.
The Broncos QB has now gone four straight games without throwing an interception. Four interception-less games, four wins. Sounds like Payton was right — the turnover battle is key to Denver's chances.
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