Broncos 27, Falcons 7: Barron's 97-Yard Pick-Six, Tua's Cameo

August 14, 2026 - Atlanta - Bo Nix never left the sideline. Tua Tagovailoa played nine snaps. The play that actually decided the Denver Broncos' 27-7 win over the Atlanta Falcons was Jahdae Barron running 97 yards the other way with a Cooper Rush interception.

Denver led 24-0 at half. Atlanta finished with 192 yards in Kevin Stefanski's first home night. Bijan Robinson and Drake London were in uniform and did not play. That is August. The tape that travels is still Barron, Jarrett Stidham's first half, and how little Tagovailoa was asked to do.

Stidham keeps the backup job warm

Sean Payton had already said Nix would sit. Stidham played the first half: 9-of-15, 131 yards, a 5-yard touchdown to Jaleel McLaughlin. "He's really good with the operation," Payton said. "I thought he handled it well."

Adam Prentice punched in a 1-yard run. Wil Lutz hit a 43-yard field goal, then the extra points, then a 46-yarder in the fourth. Courtland Sutton caught three for 60 yards, including a 40-yarder, without a starter's full allotment of routes. Sam Ehlinger finished 10-of-14 for 67 yards after the 24-0 lead was already in.

Denver outgained Atlanta 359-192. Third down: Broncos 5-of-14, Falcons 4-of-15. The gap was the takeaways more than the playbook.

Two series for Tua, two picks for Rush

Tagovailoa went 3-of-5 for 22 yards on two series. Stefanski declined to grade it. "It's hard to give a grade on that sample size." Michael Penix Jr. still is not cleared for team drills after left-knee surgery. The Falcons' starting job remains Tagovailoa's until that changes. Nine snaps will not settle it.

Rush threw two interceptions. Linebacker Karene Reid deflected a throw for Chris Blair. Barron caught it and scored. Riley Moss added another pick. Undrafted rookie Jack Strand, Atlanta's third quarterback, sneaked in from a yard after McLaughlin fumbled. Penix and Tagovailoa made sure Strand got the ball from the touchdown. That was Atlanta's scoring.

James Pearce Jr. played as a backup hours after the NFL announced an eight-game suspension for a personal-conduct violation. Stefanski: "There's plenty to clean up."

AthX Engine, if this were a regular-season card

Apply the AthX Engine NFL scoring table to the box, not a live weekly leaderboard.

Barron's pick-six is a DB explosion: 30 for the interception, 6 for the touchdown, about 4.85 from 97 return yards, or roughly 41 fantasy points. Stidham's 131 pass yards and one TD is about 16.5 quarterback points. Sutton's 3 catches and 60 yards is 16.5 at half-PPR. Those are exhibition grades. They are not share prices, and they are not regular-season boards until NFL weekly lines are live.

Track Nix, Tagovailoa, and the Broncos on the marketplace.

*Sources: ESPN recap. Information only; not financial advice.*