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. Vele's highlight of the day came on a 37-yard catch-and-run that set Denver up for a scoring opportunity on the 2-yard line. On the next play, Nix found Franklin, his former college teammate, in the end zone for Denver's first score of the day. After the highly anticipated moment for the duo, Nix said he knew it was only a matter of time before the former Oregon Ducks renewed their connection as Broncos.
"It was huge," Nix said of the touchdown. "I knew he was going to do it eventually. [I] expected it. He expected it, as well. He ran a great route. We actually had a conversion on that play. He ran the right route, had great field vision, saw the opening, got behind there on the baseline. We've been practicing that play this week, and he was there for me. He got open and he made the catch. I thought that was perfect. [I'm] really excited about that. That was a great connection."
Franklin, who said the play brought him back to his college days, noted that positive plays helped the team gain much-needed confidence as Denver continued to build momentum late in the game.
"We had to kind of extend some plays and then we really just wanted to get something started, spark up something for us," Franklin said. "I think we did that for sure in the second half."
Head Coach Sean Payton, who noted that his team "fought to get back in it" on Sunday, believes that this is only the beginning for Denver's rookie class as he looks forward to seeing how the young players can continue to contribute moving forward.
"We have to see these guys," he said. "We are a young team. I want to see this runner as well. I want to see Estime. We are going to see Vele, and we are going to see Franklin. We are not waiting to redshirt these guys. We will continue to see each week their involvement in the plan and how they fit. That is how you get confidence and get experience."
Nix has seen firsthand how experience can contribute to growth and improvement, and he is excited to see what's ahead for both Vele and Franklin as the Broncos look ahead to the coming weeks.
"We're excited about those two," Nix said. "They've had great camps,[and] they've had great seasons. They practice hard. They're very smart players. They showed up today and played big in an important moment. There's no flinch in their faces, there's no batting their eyes. They're really competitive players, smart players. [I'm] excited to see their growth as they continue to move forward. With those two, we're going to have to count on and we need moving forward. They're completely capable and ready to accept the challenge, and I'm excited to see it."
