DENVER — The Falcons entered a Week 11 matchup with the league's fifth-ranked offense.
Atlanta's offense featured a quarterback in Kirk Cousins who ranked third in the NFL is passing yards and fourth in passing touchdowns.
The unit also included a league-high five skill players with at least 450 scrimmage yards, including a pair of wide receivers in Darnell Mooney and Drake London with at least 600 yards and five touchdowns. Running back Bijan Robinson, meanwhile, had posted five consecutive games with at least 100 scrimmage yards.
And yet, the Broncos' fourth-ranked defense stood tall against one of its toughest tests of the season. In a battle against a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Denver's defense allowed just six points and kept Cousins and Co. out of the end zone.
"That's just what goes to [show] what type of defense we have," cornerback Pat Surtain II said. "And it's crazy to say that we could even be better. But, you know, at the end of the day, having a game like that, that's good on your resume. But you have to keep on stacking. Keep on building victories."
The Falcons moved the ball efficiently on their first drive before a series of penalties pushed them out of the red zone and forced Atlanta to settle for a field goal. From there, the Broncos would allow just one more score.
Robinson recorded 32 scrimmage yards on that initial drive — and just 31 more across the rest of the afternoon. A week after keeping Kareem Hunt in check, the Broncos held Robinson to 2.9 yards per carry. The Falcons' 50 rush yards represented their fewest of the season.
"It started with defending [Robinson]," Head Coach Sean Payton said. "He's explosive. Their wide-zone scheme, they do a great job with him. If that gets going, then everything else falls in place for the quarterback. We felt like the primary key to winning this game was when the game ended, who won the rushing battle. We know that they were a good rushing team, but they're a hard team to beat if you don't have an answer for him. He's an extremely talented player. They do a great job by design. That was really important."
Denver had that answer, and the task became easier as the Broncos' offense added points. The Broncos held a double-digit lead by halftime, and they added an interception and three of their four sacks with the Falcons playing catch-up in the second half. Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto added a pair of sacks to set a new career best and move to the precipice of the Broncos' first double-digit sack season since 2018.
"I feel like the guys up front did a good job of keeping Kirk Cousins in the pocket," cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian said. "Getting a hand in the face, making him very uncomfortable in the pocket, and we did solid in the back end too. I feel like it was just a good team win all around."
Safety P.J. Locke said the lead allowed Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph to dial up pressure in the second half, and Denver limited Cousins to 18-of-27 for 173 yards, one interception and a 68.9 rating before he was pulled in the fourth quarter. For the first time in his career, Cousins has started back-to-back games without a passing touchdown.
Despite the performance, the Broncos still feel there's room to improve as they head toward the final stretch of the regular season. Their goals, Locke said, are loftier than simply being one of the league's best units.
"It's one of those things where you just don't get complacent," Locke said. "We are trying to be an elite defense, and I know we are in the top five, top 10, but we are trying to be No. 1. So, there's always room for corrections, and I'm pretty sure we are going to find them on film and home in on those things and keep building off those, because this is an important stretch."
