All Three Phases: Broncos Special Teams Keep Flipping Games

Broncos Country, this is the kind of win that tells you a team is grown up. Offense, defense and the kicking game all showed up in Sunday's 30-16 win in Arizona.

Our Take: Special teams is the quiet edge on this roster, and it's turning into a real weapon.

Per DenverBroncos.com, Marvin Mims Jr. opened the game with a 39-yard kick return that set up Denver's first scoring drive. Then, protecting a seven-point lead in the third quarter, fullback Adam Prentice blocked a punt, the Broncos took over at their own 38, and three plays later Bo Nix hit RJ Harvey on a 52-yard touchdown. Wil Lutz made all three field goals and stretched his extra-point streak to 111 straight. Mile High Report called the Harvey score a perfectly designed screen.

"It was one of our more complete games," Sean Payton said after the win. Safety Devon Key, a first-team All-Pro special teamer last season, put it simply: "As a special teams unit, I feel like we all buy in each week." Center Luke Wattenberg added, "It takes all three phases to win and be successful in this league."

The secondary held up too. With Pat Surtain II out again, Kris Abrams-Draine came up with a fourth-down stop, and Payton called the group's play "pretty impressive."

What to watch: Denver is 5-2 and heads home for a division rivalry game on Sunday. If the kicking game keeps winning the hidden yards, this team is tough to beat at Empower Field.

Sources: DenverBroncos.com notebook, DenverBroncos.com recap, Mile High Report