ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — During the second half of Sunday’s battle with the Chargers, Denver’s rookies provided a spark.
The Broncos faced a 23-point deficit at halftime but found a rhythm late as the offense scored 16 unanswered points and gave the team a chance in the final minutes of the 23-16 loss.
The rally, which showed Denver’s ability to battle back, was fueled by the strong play of several rookie players, including quarterback Bo Nix, running back Audric Estime and wide receivers Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin.
And for eighth-year left tackle Garett Bolles, this on-field performance is a testament to the mentality of the young players and the energy they consistently bring to the locker room.
“The young guys that we have, you would never know that they’re young,” Bolles said after Sunday’s loss. “You would never know that they’re rookies or first-year, second-year or third-year players. You would think they’re five- to 10-year vets because this culture that we have in this locker room is just building off each other.”
This mentality was on full display in the second half, as Denver’s rookies stepped up and made key plays to help change the tide of the game. Estime, who returned from injured reserve on Sunday, showed his potential to be a consistent contributor while Franklin had a breakout performance in which he recorded the first touchdown reception of his career.
Nix, who noted that “it’s not easy looking at the scoreboard and seeing the deficit,” commended his teammates for continuing to battle despite the circumstances. Nix said the team will “continue to put good stuff on the field,” and the Broncos saw glimpses of that through Nix’s strong connection with his rookie receivers on Sunday.
Completing 15-of-19 passes for 189 yards, two touchdowns and a 143.2 passer rating in the fourth quarter, Nix’s strongest connection was with Vele, who led the team in receiving yards on Sunday….
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