The Denver Broncos put together one of their most complete performances of the 2025 NFL season on October 26, 2025, dismantling the Dallas Cowboys 44–24 at Empower Field. Bo Nix threw four touchdown passes, the running game added two more scores, and a Broncos defense that intercepted the Cowboys twice and defended 12 passes created consistent disruption throughout. Dallas never had an answer for Denver’s efficiency — the Broncos averaged 7.5 yards per play, took zero sacks, and scored on six of their possessions. Here is the full breakdown.
Final Score
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Denver Broncos | 14 | 13 | 3 | 14 | 44 |
Scoring Plays
Q1 — 10:36 Brandon Aubrey 24-yard field goal. (DEN 0 – DAL 3)
Q1 — 8:21 R. Harvey rushed left end for 40 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Lutz PAT good. (DEN 7 – DAL 3)
Q1 — 3:10 Bo Nix pass deep middle complete. Catch made by T. Franklin for 25 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Lutz PAT good. (DEN 14 – DAL 3)
Q2 — 7:32 J. Williams rushed up the middle for 1 yard. TOUCHDOWN. Aubrey PAT good. (DEN 14 – DAL 10)
Q2 — 3:51 R. Harvey rushed up the middle for 1 yard. TOUCHDOWN. Two-point conversion FAILS. (DEN 20 – DAL 10)
Q2 — 0:44 Bo Nix pass deep left complete. Catch made by P. Bryant for 24 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Lutz PAT good. (DEN 27 – DAL 10)
Q3 — 8:14 J. Williams rushed up the middle for 1 yard. TOUCHDOWN. Aubrey PAT good. (DEN 27 – DAL 17)
Q3 — 6:06 Wil Lutz 42-yard field goal. (DEN 30 – DAL 17)
Q4 — 12:54 Bo Nix pass short left complete. Catch made by T. Franklin for 7 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Lutz PAT good. (DEN 37 – DAL 17)
Q4 — 7:18 Bo Nix pass short right complete. Catch made by R. Harvey for 5 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Lutz PAT good. (DEN 44 – DAL 17)
Q4 — 4:50 J. Milton pass deep right complete. Catch made by J. Tolbert for 35 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Aubrey PAT good. (DEN 44 – DAL 24)
Team Stats Comparison
| Stat | Denver Broncos | Dallas Cowboys |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 426 | 339 |
| Passing Yards | 247 | 246 |
| Rushing Yards | 179 | 108 |
| Plays | 57 | 68 |
| Avg Gain Per Play | 7.5 | 5.0 |
| Time of Possession | 26:28 | 33:32 |
| First Downs | 25 | 24 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Penalties | 7 (42 yds) | 9 (80 yds) |
| Sacks Allowed | 0 | 2 |
| Touchdowns | 6 | 3 |
| Field Goals | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| Passes Defended | 12 | 2 |
Denver Broncos Offensive Stats
Passing
Bo Nix completed 19 of 29 passes for 247 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception, finishing with a 117.4 passer rating. He was not sacked once despite Dallas bringing blitz pressure on 11 plays. His four touchdowns went to three different receivers — T. Franklin twice (25 yards and 7 yards), P. Bryant (24 yards), and R. Harvey (5 yards) — showing the variety and spread of Denver’s aerial attack. The interception was the lone blemish in an otherwise exceptional performance.
- Completions/Attempts: 19/29
- Completion %: 65.5%
- Yards: 247
- Touchdowns: 4
- Interceptions: 1
- Passer Rating: 117.4
- Sacks Taken: 0
- Longest Pass: 39 yards
- Net Passing Yards: 247
- Hurries Faced: 0
Rushing
Denver ran 28 times for 179 yards and 2 touchdowns — a dominant ground performance that averaged 6.393 yards per carry. R. Harvey provided the game’s most explosive play: a 40-yard touchdown run left end in the first quarter that immediately answered Dallas’s opening field goal and gave Denver the lead they never relinquished. Harvey also added a 1-yard rushing score later and a 5-yard touchdown catch. The running game’s ability to break big plays forced Dallas to respect the run, opening up the passing lanes that Nix exploited efficiently.
- Attempts: 28
- Yards: 179
- Avg Per Carry: 6.393
- Touchdowns: 2
- Longest Run: 40 yards (TD — Harvey)
- Redzone Attempts: 5
- Yards After Contact: 68
Receiving
Denver receivers caught 19 of 27 targets for 247 yards and 4 touchdowns. T. Franklin was the standout with 2 touchdown catches including a 25-yarder that made it 14–3 in the first quarter. The entire receiving unit averaged 13.0 yards per reception and gained 81 yards after the catch, reflecting the effectiveness of Denver’s route combinations and the space created by the running game. Three dropped passes kept the totals from being even more impressive.
- Targets: 27
- Receptions: 19
- Yards: 247
- Avg Per Reception: 13.0
- Touchdowns: 4
- Yards After Catch: 81
- Longest Reception: 39 yards
- Dropped Passes: 3
Special Teams
Wil Lutz converted the only field goal attempt — a 42-yarder in the third quarter — and made all five extra points. Denver’s special teams also had two punt returns for 26 yards including a 13-yard return that provided solid field position.
- Field Goals: 1/1 (42 yards)
- Extra Points: 5/6 (1 missed after failed two-point attempt attempt was taken off the board)
Dallas Cowboys Offensive Stats
Passing
Dallas’s quarterback completed 22 of 35 passes for 246 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions, finishing with a 69.5 passer rating. He was sacked twice for 15 yards and had 9 passes defended by Denver’s secondary — a sign of how consistently the Broncos’ coverage unit disrupted Dallas’s passing lanes. The lone touchdown was a 35-yard strike to J. Tolbert in the fourth quarter, converted by backup quarterback J. Milton with the game already decided.
- Completions/Attempts: 22/35
- Completion %: 62.9%
- Yards: 246
- Touchdowns: 1
- Interceptions: 2
- Passer Rating: 69.5
- Sacks Taken: 2 (15 yards)
- Longest Pass: 35 yards (TD)
- Net Passing Yards: 231
- Passes Defended Against: 9
Rushing
Dallas ran 31 times for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns — a reasonable yards-per-carry average (3.484) but not enough to put sustained pressure on Denver’s defense. Both rushing touchdowns came on 1-yard goal-line carries — J. Williams scoring twice up the middle in the second and third quarters. Neither rushing touchdown changed the momentum of the game, arriving at moments when Denver already held commanding leads.
- Attempts: 31
- Yards: 108
- Avg Per Carry: 3.484
- Touchdowns: 2 (J. Williams, 1 yard each)
- Longest Run: 14 yards
- Redzone Attempts: 7
Receiving
Dallas receivers caught 22 of 35 targets for 246 yards and 1 touchdown. J. Tolbert’s 35-yard touchdown catch in garbage time was the most significant individual receiving play. Receivers combined for 78 yards after the catch — solid enough, but far below Denver’s 81 yards on nearly the same number of receptions. One dropped pass hurt Dallas at a moment they could least afford it.
- Targets: 35
- Receptions: 22
- Yards: 246
- Avg Per Reception: 11.2
- Touchdowns: 1 (Tolbert, 35 yards)
- Yards After Catch: 78
- Longest Reception: 35 yards
- Dropped Passes: 1
Special Teams
Brandon Aubrey converted a 24-yard field goal in the opening drive and made 3 of 3 extra points. Dallas punted 5 times with an average of 50.4 yards, landing 3 inside the 20.
- Field Goals: 1/1 (24 yards)
- Extra Points: 3/3
- Punts: 5 attempts, 50.4 avg, 3 inside the 20
Denver Broncos Defensive Stats
Denver’s defense was the clearest sign of how far the Broncos had developed in 2025. Two interceptions, 12 passes defended, 2 sacks, 8 QB hits, and 3 tackles for loss — against a Cowboys offense that controlled possession for over 33 minutes. Dallas had 9 passes defended against them and 2 interceptions thrown in a game where their quarterback simply could not find clean windows consistently.
- Total Tackles: 29 solo, 46 assists (75 combined)
- Sacks: 2 (for 15 yards)
- QB Hits: 8
- Tackles for Loss: 3 (for 17 yards)
- Interceptions: 2 (36 return yards)
- Passes Defended: 12
- Forced Fumbles: 1
- Three-and-Outs Forced: 3
- Missed Tackles: 5
Dallas Cowboys Defensive Stats
Dallas’s defense held Denver to 426 yards — solid enough on paper — but the Broncos’ efficiency on scoring drives was the problem. Denver scored on 6 of their offensive possessions, including 4 touchdown drives in the first half that made the game effectively over by the time Dallas could mount any kind of response. Dallas’s defense recorded 1 interception but generated only 1 QB hit and 0 sacks.
- Total Tackles: 28 solo, 23 assists (51 combined)
- Sacks: 0
- QB Hits: 1
- Tackles for Loss: 3 (for 5 yards)
- Interceptions: 1 (7 return yards)
- Passes Defended: 2
- Three-and-Outs Forced: 2
- Missed Tackles: 6
Key Takeaways
- Denver Broncos defeated the Dallas Cowboys 44–24 on October 26, 2025, in one of the most complete team performances of Denver’s 2025 NFL season — averaging 7.5 yards per play and scoring on 6 of their offensive possessions.
- Bo Nix threw 4 touchdown passes — to T. Franklin twice, P. Bryant, and R. Harvey — finishing with a 117.4 passer rating and taking zero sacks despite Dallas blitzing on 11 plays.
- R. Harvey’s 40-yard touchdown run left end in the first quarter was the game’s most explosive play, immediately answering Dallas’s opening field goal and giving Denver a lead they never lost.
- Denver’s ground game averaged 6.393 yards per carry on 28 attempts — a dominant performance that made Dallas defend both the run and the pass simultaneously with no effective answer to either.
- Dallas threw 2 interceptions and had 9 passes defended — Denver’s secondary was the most consistent unit on the field, disrupting the Cowboys’ passing game throughout all four quarters.
- Both of Dallas’s rushing touchdowns (J. Williams, 1 yard each) came with the game already decided, reflecting how little the Cowboys’ offense could do in meaningful game situations.
- Dallas committed 9 penalties for 80 yards compared to Denver’s 7 for 42 — the Cowboys’ discipline issues added unnecessary yardage to Denver’s scoring drives on multiple occasions.
- Denver’s defense forced 3 three-and-outs and recorded 8 QB hits while allowing only 1 QB hit in return — a complete mismatch in pressure generation between the two defensive units.
- The 44-point total was Denver’s highest-scoring game of the 2025 regular season to that point, confirming their position as one of the AFC’s most complete teams heading into the second half of the season.
- Dallas’s loss dropped them to a difficult position in the NFC East race, while Denver’s dominant victory cemented their status as a legitimate AFC playoff contender.