Marcus Mariota hit Terry McLaurin for a 3-yard touchdown pass with 2:47 remaining in overtime, but the two-point conversion pass failed and the Denver Broncos held on for their ninth straight win, 27-26 over the Washington Commanders on Sunday night in Landover, Md.
Mariota’s conversion pass attempt was blocked by linebacker Nik Bonitto.
Denver got the ball first in overtime. Bo Nix hit Evan Engram for 41 yards to the Washington 11 and, two plays later, RJ Harvey went up the middle for a 5-yard touchdown.
Washington drove inside Denver territory and a defensive pass interference penalty on fourth down gave the Commanders a first down at the 36-yard line. Three plays later, Mariota hit McLaurin for 30-yard touchdown that was wiped out by a holding penalty. Mariota then found Deebo Samuel for 38 yards to the Broncos’ 2-yard line. After a running play and two incompletions, Mariota connected with McLaurin on fourth down.
Denver is tied with New England at 10-2 for the top seed in the AFC, with the Patriots playing the New York Giants on Monday night before a bye week.
Washington (3-9) has lost seven straight.
Nix completed 29 of 45 passes for 321 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Engram caught six passes for 79 yards. Harvey ran for two touchdowns.
Mariota went 28 of 50 for 294 yards, two touchdowns and one pick. Tight end Zach Ertz had 10 catches for 106 yards and wide receiver McLaurin, active for first time since Oct. 27, caught seven passes for 96 yards and the OT score.
Trailing 20-17, the Commanders started on their 15 with 3:00 left in regulation. After Washington converted fourth-and-1 at the 35 with just over two minutes remaining, two penalties pushed Washington back to second-and-25. However, Mariota hit McLaurin (19 yards) and Ertz (8) for a first down at the Denver 37 with 34 seconds left. Jake Moody, in his Commanders debut, later hit a 32-yard field goal as time expired to tie the game 20-20.
Washington was trailing 13-7 when it took the second-half kick and drove 72 yards in 10 plays. Treylon Burks made a spectacular leaping, one-handed catch in the corner of the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown.
The 14-13 lead was short-lived. On third-and-11, Nix hit Courtland Sutton for 31 yards to the Washington 29 and then found Pat Bryant for 21 yards to the 3-yard line. Harvey ran for the score and Denver led 20-14 with 3:59 left in the third quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, Nix was picked off by Bobby Wagner, who returned it to the Broncos 36. Washington settled for Moody’s 38-yard field goal and trailed 20-17 with 12:37 remaining.
Trailing 6-0 midway through the second quarter, Mariota drove the Commanders 71 yards in 11 plays. He hit Ertz for 21 yards to the Broncos’ 23 and, after an unnecessary roughness penalty on Bonitto made it first-and-goal from the 8, Chris Rodriguez Jr. went up the middle for the score and a 7-6 lead.
Nix capped the next drive by, as he was falling, flinging an 11-yard touchdown pass to Sutton just before halftime.
–Field Level Media
