Down two touchdowns going into the start of the fourth quarter, it felt like the Broncos had squandered their best chance at getting a win. Up to that point, not much had gone right for Denver. The offense was struggling to score against a not-great Bears defense. Meanwhile, the Broncos defense made Justin Fields look like Patrick Mahomes.

Sean Payton knew he had to try something and reached into his bag of tricks. However, it wasn’t a trick play, onside kick, or anything related to schematics. Instead, he ripped the sleeves off his long-sleeved jacket, and it was all Broncos from there on out.  The Broncos went on to out-score the Bears 17-0 in the fourth and notched their first win of the season.

Okay, maybe this wasn’t the reason for the fourth-quarter comeback, but there’s no denying that Denver ended up playing their best quarter of the season. However, if it wasn’t the sleeves, then what was it?

The Broncos Never Gave Up

The first key to the Broncos’ comeback was they never gave up. This is a credit to the players on the Broncos roster. It would’ve been easy to throw in the towel, down 28-7 to a Bears team that hasn’t won a game since last October. Not to mention, the Broncos were coming off an embarrassing 70-20 loss to the Dolphins last week. Denver’s continuing to fight, mixed in with the Bears’ questionable decision-making, opened the door for their 24 unanswered points.

Nik Bonitto

Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto was a lone bright spot on Denver’s defense. While the secondary continued to get shredded, someone needed to step up and make Bears QB Justin Fields uncomfortable. Like almost every QB who has played this version of the Broncos Defense, Fields looked unstoppable. He played far and away the best game of his career, going over 300 passing yards for the first time and setting a career-high with 4 passing touchdowns. He played a near-perfect first half, going 16/17 for 231 yards and 3 TDs, with his only incompletion being a last-second Hail Mary attempt.

Denver Broncos vs. Chicago Bears

Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto (42) and Bears QB Justin Fields (1) – Michael Reaves/Getty Images

For the day, Bonitto recorded 2.5 sacks and had two tackles for loss (ESPN). It was Bonitto who completed the comeback with roughly seven minutes to go in the fourth. The Bears had just recorded a first down and, leading by seven, were looking to drain the clock. Chicago went play action, and Bonitto, not falling for the fake, went full speed at Fields and knocked the ball out of his hands. Teammate Jonathon Cooper picked the ball up and ran it back for a touchdown, tying the game at 28.

Chicago Passed on the Field Goal

Following the scope and score TD, Chicago took the ball inside Denver’s 20. Chicago was once again moving the ball well, but the drive got stalled by an offensive holding call, and a few plays later, Chicago was faced with a 4th and 1. Sean Payton burned his second timeout to stop the clock. However, out of the time out, Chicago’s Head Coach Matt Eberflus brought back the offense. Fields went with the hard count, hoping to get Denver to jump, which wasn’t a bad idea, considering Denver’s defense had jumped many times throughout the game.

With Denver’s defense staying disciplined, Chicago then took a timeout. Here is where most people thought Chicago would take the three and go up 31-28  with 2:52 left in the game. However, Chicago once again brought the offense back onto the field. This time, they tried to run RB Khalil Herbert up the middle but were stuffed by LB Alex Singleton.

Russell Wilson

With the defense stepping up and getting the fourth down stop, the game was in Russell Wilson’s hands. He had a chance to lead a game-winning drive and get Sean Payton his first win as a Bronco. And Russell did just that. On the first play of the drive, he hit rookie receiver Marvin Mims Jr. on a beautiful deep ball for 48 yards to Chicago’s 33.  Mims once again proved to be an x-factor despite his near turnover on a kickoff earlier in the game.

Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson

Broncos QB Russell Wilson (3) and Bears DT Andrew Billings (97) – Erin Hooley/AP Photo

The Broncos proceeded to run it the next two plays for minimal gain, and Courtland Sutton was unable to haul in the first down catch. This set the stage for kicker Wil Lutz and he drilled the 51 yard attempt. Lutz is now 6/7 on field goals this year, with his lone miss being a 55-yard attempt in Week 1. Kareem Jackson would go on to seal the win, intercepting Fields pass to tight end Cole Kemet.

Looking Ahead

The Broncos (1-3) will return home for a game against the New York Jets (1-3).  The Jets are coming off perhaps the best game of Zach Wilson’s career and will look to build on that momentum. Their defense is extremely talented, and this game has the makings of being a low-scoring affair. It will be important for Denver to take care of the ball and make the Jets offense earn their points by driving the length of the field.