Pletcher, Baffert Have 6 Of Top 10 Contenders

Amid near constant rain, the Denver Broncos held on to beat the New York Jets 10-9 at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. Related Articles Denver Broncos | Broncos RB Javonte Williams “feeling like the old days” in win over Jets Denver Broncos | Broncos ILB Justin Strnad authors career game with friends, family on mind in Hurricane Helene’s aftermath Denver Broncos | Broncos QB Bo Nix: Rain, wet footballs impacted first half in which he threw for minus-7 yards Denver Broncos | Broncos report card: Vance Joseph’s dazzling, dominant defense delivers in 10-9 win over Jets Denver Broncos | Bo Nix Watch: Broncos QB overcomes brutal first half against Jets to earn second career win

The Rockies’ finale was grand. Until it wasn’t. The Dodgers beat the Rockies, 2-1, Sunday afternoon, on, of all things, an eighth-inning balk. The Rockies held a 1-0 lead entering the eighth but couldn’t close the deal. Chris Taylor led off with a homer to right off Victor Vodnik to tie the game.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J. — When the rain finally ran out Sunday, the Broncos offense found some life. Denver head coach Sean Payton said he thought the steady precipitation caught both teams by surprise. “I don’t know that either team expected the weather to impact the game like it did that much in the first half,” Payton said after the Broncos’ 10-9 win at MetLife Stadium after a day-plus of near-constant drizzle and rain. Quarterback Bo Nix, who regularly seemed to fight his grip on the football early in the game, agreed. “Yeah, when it rains like that for that long period of time, it’s hard to kind of, I guess, get new, dry footballs out there,” the rookie said after Denver’s 10-9 win.

OFFENSE — D Denver mounted an 11-play, 87-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter that featured the team’s first three third-down conversions of the day and finished with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Bo Nix to Courtland Sutton. Outside of that, though, it was tough sledding. The Broncos started slow offensively and just got worse through the first half.

Stat line: 11 for 25, 60 yards, one touchdown, five carries for three yards Highlight: Nix conducted an impressive 11-play, 87-yard scoring drive in the third quarter to put Denver on top. He completed a 29-yard pass to Courtland Sutton on third-and-11 before connecting with the veteran wideout for an 8-yard touchdown pass — the first of Nix’s career.

Initial thoughts from the Broncos’ 10-9 win over the New York Jets: Un-Bo-Lievable first half: Denver has had 14 starting quarterbacks since Peyton Manning retired following the 2015 season. None played a worse first half than Bo Nix. He is a rookie. The situation demands context and patience. But it also requires basic competence.