Angela Rae Harris's Blog

If you have an event taking place in the Denver area, email information to  carlotta.olson@gazette.com  at least two weeks in advance. All events are listed in the calendar on space availability.

Monday

RiNo Arts District Food Tour — 1-4 p.m., Denver, $60 and up. Registration required: deliciousdenverfoodtours.com

Tom Pakelle & Stevie “Guitar” Glotzer, Blues — 6 p.m., Rosetta Hall, 1109 Walnut St., Boulder; rosettahall.com.

Sipping N’ Painting Hampden — “Red Mittens,” 6:30-8:30 p.m., Sipping N’ Painting Hampden, 6461 E. Hampden Ave., Denver, $35. Registration required: sippingnpaintinghampden.com.

Rev3rent — With Abstract Delusions & Ransom Note, 7 p.m., HQ, 60 S. Broadway, Denver, $20.63 and up. Tickets: hqdenver.com.

Percussion Ensemble & Symphonic Band — 7:30 p.m., MSU Denver Music Concert Hall, 855 Lawrence Way, Denver, $12-$18. Tickets: ahec.universitytickets.com/w.

“Let Nothing You Dismay” — Through Dec. 21, Firehouse Theater Co., John Hand Theatre, 7653 E. 1st Place, Denver, go online for prices. Tickets: firehousetheatercompany.com.

“The Honest Eye: Camille Pissarro’s Impressionism” — Through Feb. 8, Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, Denver, go online for prices: denverartmuseum.org.

“Roni Horn: Water, Water on the Wall, You’re the Fairest of Them All” — Through Feb. 15, MCA Denver, 1485 Delgany St., Denver, go online for admission prices; mcadenver.org.

“Xochimilco: Works by Eduardo Robledo Romero” — Through March 22, Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver, go online for prices; botanicgardens.org.

Monday-Dec. 31

Toys & ‘Tinis — Donate a toy to benefit the Denver Santa Claus Shop and receive $10% off a cocktail, 3-10 p.m. Tuesdays, Poka Lola Social Club, 1850 Wazee St., Denver; pokaloladenver.com/event/toys-tinis.

Monday-Jan. 1

Tinsel & Tiki Holiday Pop-up Bar — ViewHouse Ballpark, 2015 Market St., Denver; viewhouse.com/location-ballpark.

ViewHouse Holiday Village Pop-up Bar and Events — ViewHouse Centennial, 7101 S. Clinton St., Centennial, viewhouse.com/location-centennial; ViewHouse Littleton, 2680 Main St., Littleton, viewhouse.com/location-littleton.

CARLOTTA OLSON, The Denver Gazette

LANDOVER, Md. — Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton has been overwhelmed with all the well-wishers who have reached out to him. But on Sunday he knew he had to perform on the field.

In Denver’s 27-26 overtime win over Washington at Northwest Stadium, Singleton returned after he missed one game following testicular cancer surgery Nov. 7.

“Everybody is going to give me sympathy before the game,’’ Singleton said. “But you have to play on this defense or you’re not going to play. So that was my biggest stress all week was just being ready to play. We were able to do that. Obviously, guys made plays at the end when we needed to win the game.”

Singleton made his share of important plays. He had six tackles and a quarterback hit.

“He played well,’’ said Broncos coach Sean Payton.

Denver Broncos inside linebacker Alex Singleton (49) breaks up a pass intended for Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (86) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Late in regulation, Singleton had a key pass breakup of Washington tight end Zach Ertz, once his teammate with Philadelphia.

“He was going to the middle,’’ Singleton said. “He usually sits down, but he kept going and I saw his eyes get big and I said, ‘I should probably take that guy.’ It worked out.”

As for Singleton, he didn’t deny there were some tears in his eyes. He said he had to keep from breaking down in a radio interview after the game.

Another close win

The Broncos won their ninth straight game. They have won seven of them by four points or less.

“I would say in the four years I’ve been here I don’t know if we’ve lived this way,’’ Singleton said. “I think this locker room believes. … Let’s just play every game a one-score game. It seems we’ll find a way to do it.”

Payton said that good teams find a way to win close game.

“I can recall the journey of good teams,’’ he said. “It involves games like that. Then you believe you can do it again.”

Hufanga active

Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga, who was listed as questionable earlier in the day due to an illness, played Sunday and had a team-high 13 tackles.

“At the end of the day, regardless, these guys that I step in this locker room with, they put everything on the line and for me not to (play) would be disappointing,” Hufanga said.

Inactive for the Broncos were outside linebacker Jonah Elliss, tight end Nate Adkins, defensive linemen Jordan Jackson and Sai’vion Jones and offensive lineman Geron Christian. Elliss was ruled out Saturday with a hamstring injury, and Adkins was ruled out Friday with a knee injury.

Inactive for the Commanders were quarterback Jayden Daniels, safety Darnell Savage, linebacker Ale Kaho, long snapper Tyler Ott, tackles Trent Scott and George Fant and defensive end Jalyn Holmes.

Briefly

The Broncos had just two sacks, but they passed 50 to get to 51 on the season. Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto had one sack to give him 10.5. Outside linebacker Dondrea Tillman, who grew up in the Washington area and played his first NFL game in the area, had the other. … Broncos tight end Evan Engram lauded the play of quarterback Bo Nix, who completed 29 of 45 passes for 321 yards and a touchdown. “Bo made incredible throws,’’ Engram said. … Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, in his first Broncos season, had his first interception. … Defensive tackle D.J. Jones left in the second half with an ankle surgery.

LANDOVER, Md. — Do the Broncos ever do anything the easy way?

Every victory smile is covered in a Maalox mustache.

Oh, this heartburn hurts so good. 

It took the Broncos overtime and the big, bad hand of linebacker Nik Bonitto to thwart a two-point conversion for them to beat Washington 27-26 Sunday.

“We don’t escape,” said Denver coach Sean Payton, who firmly believes his team is more good than lucky. “We won.”

But it required an effort worthy of the NFL’s defensive player of this year to pull this W out of the L column for the Broncos.

When Washington matched a Denver touchdown in overtime, the Commanders boldly decided to go for the gusto with a two-point conversion rather than a tie. Quarterback Marcus Mariota dropped back and spied running back Jeremy McNichols breaking wide open at the goal line.

As Mariota released his pass, however, Bonitto leapt and took a mighty swipe at the ball with his right hand with the determination that would do NBA rim-protector extraordinaire Victor Wembanyama proud.

“I was just really hoping the ball would hit the ground at that moment,” Denver quarterback Bo Nix said. “And, sure enough, it did.”

As the Broncos exhaled with relief and mobbed Bonitto with joy, the clock struck midnight on the East Coast, flipping the calendar from November to the nitty-gritty month of the NFL season. In their year of living dangerously, these Broncos have now won nine in a row, with seven of the victories by a grand total of 17 points.

They flew back to Denver as the current No. 1 seed in the AFC and with legit championship aspirations.

But there’s also a nagging question:

Can the Broncos make a Super Bowl run without a running game?

Although he did score what proved to be the winning touchdown with a five-yard dash in the extra period, rookie RJ Harvey isn’t cutting it.

“It was one of those frustrating nights running the ball,” Payton said.

In the two games since being anointed the team’s No. 1 running back by default, Harvey has toted the rock 24 times for a paltry 65 yards.

Against the Commanders, Denver had to lean heavily on the arm of Nix. Unable to move the football on the ground, Nix was required to throw 45 times.

Newsflash: A 2-1 pass-to-run ratio is a dicey formula for success.

While a teeth-rattling defense is this team’s calling card and Nix has come up big in the clutch, it would be wrong to call anybody other than J.K. Dobbins the MVP of Denver’s offense through the opening 10 games of this season, when the Broncos emerged as the championship contender that Payton promised us they were ready to be.

Dobbins ran for 772 yards, averaging a smash-mouth five yards per carry, and was on pace to become the first Broncos back to finish among the NFL’s top five players in rushing since Clinton Portis did it way back in 2003.

Then the feel-good story took a wicked turn for the worse when Dobbins wrenched his left foot against the Raiders, suffering a Lisfranc ligament tear. He will happily bowl you over, but sadly, he has never been able to outrun his bad luck with injuries, which is why the Chargers let Dobbins go as a free agent.

And now the burden of Denver’s running game has fallen on the shoulders of Harvey.

It appears to be a task for Harvey that’s too big of an ask.

While it would be unfairly premature to call Harvey a bust, selecting him with the 60th overall pick in the NFL draft was a mistake. While he’s a useful gadget, Harvey is more of a whatchamacallit than a real weapon. He moves well laterally, but rarely plants his foot and puts the pedal to the metal, with only two rushes of more than 25 yards.

General manager George Paton has done yeoman’s work reshaping the Denver roster, but grabbing Harvey in the second round was a reach.

Yes, hindsight is 20/20. But I wasn’t the only knucklehead howling before the draft for the Broncos to trade back their slot at No. 20 in the opening round to get Ohio State star TreVeyon Henderson, who has emerged as a compelling reason why the New England Patriots have become the league’s most pleasant surprise.

When Denver reached for Harvey, the team’s glaring need for a tight end could’ve instead been filled with Harold Fannin Jr., who has made 51 receptions as a rookie despite being stuck with the clueless Cleveland Browns.

Through 10 games, Dobbins allowed Denver to play football that’s complementary to a championship-caliber defense. Despite Payton’s persistent urge to throw the rock around the yard and annoying habit of trick plays too smart for their own good, the Broncos’ ground game averaged 4.8 yards per rush when Dobbins was healthy, giving them a viable four-minute offense to run out the clock when nursing a tenuous lead late in the fourth quarter.

Denver no longer has that hammer in its toolbox.

Can the Broncos make a Super Bowl run without a running game?

A pillow fight is no way to win in the NFL playoffs.

LANDOVER, Md. — The Broncos have taken over the No. 1 seed for the AFC playoff race.

At least for a day.

With a wild 27-26 overtime win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday night at Northwest Stadium, the Broncos moved to 10-2, the same record as New England, but the Broncos hold a tiebreaker over the Patriots. However, New England plays Monday night at home against the New York Giants before having its bye week.

In winning their ninth straight game, the Broncos took a 27-20 lead in overtime on a 5-yard touchdown run by RJ Harvey with 6:59 left. Washington’s Marcus Mariota then threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin with 2:47 left in overtime to cut the deficit to 27-26. But outside linebacker Nik Bonitto batted down Mariota’s 2-point conversion pass attempt.

“It was a great play for sure, and I’m happy we found a way,’’ Bonitto said.

There were a lot of happy guys in Denver’s locker room. Even though the Broncos barely beat the now 3-9 Commanders, head coach Sean Payton didn’t look at it that way.

“No escape,’’ he said. “We won a close game in overtime. It was smoky (in the locker room). We have a smoke machine. It was loud. We have a sound machine.”

During their nine-game streak, the Broncos have won seven times by four points or less.

“We’ve been in these close games and pressure and guys just answer the bell,’’ said Broncos tight end Evan Engram.

Engram answered it in overtime. He caught a 41-yard pass from Bo Nix to the Washington 11 to set up Harvey’s go-ahead touchdown.

“It was a big play,’’ said Engram, who had a team-high six catches for 79 yards. “Bo did a good job of seeing the defense.”

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) runs with the ball after catching a pass against Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) during overtime of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Landover, Md.. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Nix completed 29 of 45 passes for 321 yards and a touchdown.

“Bo was fantastic in that final drive (in overtime),’’ Payton said. “Evan made a great play and a lot of guys stepped up.”

Then Denver’s defense stepped up. Payton said on the 2-point attempt that the Commanders left Bonitto open as a free rusher.

“(Mariota) kind of drifted back kind of far, too, so I knew he was just kind of buyng time, so at that point he was just trying to make a hard run and throw the ball,” Bonitto said. “And I ended up knocking it down and ended up winning the game.”

Bonitto was wearing a club due to a wrist injury. But he had a sack earlier in the game, giving him 10.5 on the season, and then made the big play on Mariota.

“”Should out to Nik Bonitto.” said safety Talanoa Hufanga, who played and had a team-high 13 tackles after being listed as questionable earlier in the day with an illness. “They had a play drawn up, and Washington (had) executed all the way down the field. They were poised. Nik made a play, because if he didn’t, they score, and they win the game.”

Trailing 20-17, Washington had tied the score 20-20 on a 32-yard field goal by Jake Moody on the final play of regulation. The Commanders drove 71 yards in 18 plays, which included converting a fourth-and-1 and a fourth-and-6.

On their overtime touchdown drive, the Commanders converted two fourth-down plays. On fourth-and-6 at the Broncos 41, a pass interference call on Hufanga nullified a Brandon Jones interception. And the touchdown pass to McLaurin came on fourth down.

“They’re a tough out,” Payton said.

The Broncos trailed 14-13 before taking a 20-14 lead on Harvey’s 1-yard touchdown run with 3:59 left in the third quarter. The Commanders cut the deficit to 20-17 on Moody’s 38-yard field goal with 12:37 left in regulation.

The Broncos drove twice into the red zone in the first half and both times settled for 33-yard field goals by Wil Lutz for a 6-0 lead.

Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey (12) scores a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

The Commanders finally put together a scoring drive in which Chris Rodriguez scored on an 8-yard run to put them up 7-6 with 2:21 left in the half. On the play before, with Washington facing first-and-15 at the Denver 16, Bonitto was called for a personal foul for unnecessary roughness, giving the Commanders a first down at the 8.

But the Broncos stormed back to take the 13-7 lead at halftime on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Nix to Courtland Sutton with we seconds left in the first half. He was under pressure and his right knee almost hit the ground.

“That was an amazing throw,’’ Payton said. “We were worried he was down.”

The Commanders regained the lead 14-13 when Mariota hit Treylon Burks for a spectacular, leaping one-handed 5-yard touchdown catch on the first drive of the third quarter. Burks had a tryout with Denver in October before signing with the Commanders.

The Broncos, though, came back to take the 20-14 lead on Harvey’s first touchdown. He now has a team-high eight touchdowns this season.

There was an anxious moment for the Broncos early in the fourth quarter when Nix threw an interception right into the hands of Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner, who returned it 6 yards to the Denver 36. But the Broncos held Washington to the 38-yard field goal by Moody.

Despite Harvey’s touchdowns, Denver’s running game was nothing impressive for the second straight game after J.K. Dobbins was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury. Broncos running backs Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin combined for 59 yards on 19 carries.

The game marked the return to the lineup of cornerback Pat Surtain II, who had missed three games with a pectoral strain, and of linebacker Alex Singleton, who had missed one game following testicular cancer surgery on Nov. 7. Singleton had a breakup on a long throw to Washington tight end Zach Ertz late in regulation.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix delivered a candidate for NFL throw of the year in a Sunday night road overtime victory over the Washington Commanders.

The Broncos escaped 27-26 for a ninth consecutive win and improved their record to 10-2.

“We’ve got incredible belief,” Nix told reporters at Northwest Stadium. “No matter what, we just kind of feel like we’re going to figure out a way to win the game.”

Nix completed 29 of 45 passes for 321 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He led the Broncos on a five-play, 76-yard scoring drive in overtime. Tight end Evan Engram set it up with a 41-yard catch and run into the Washington red zone, and rookie RJ Harvey rushed for his second touchdown of the night. The Commanders responded with a touchdown.

Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto played the hero and batted down a two-point conversion pass attempt by Washington quarterback Marcus Mariota.

“Bo was fantastic on that final drive,” Broncos coach Sean Payton told reporters.

However, on a night defined by big plays, none resonated quite so large as second-and-10 from the Washington 11-yard line with 28 seconds left in the second quarter. The Broncos trailed, 7-6, with a chance to lead before halftime. That’s when Nix made his most impressive throw all season.

Nix took the shotgun snap, the pocket started to collapse, and he stepped into the chaos. Nix escaped an arm tackle at his ankles from Commanders defensive end Preston Smith. He couldn’t shed defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw. But that didn’t stop Nix from getting off a last-second throw.

Nix fell to the side — with his right knee quickly approaching the grass — before somehow mustering a touchdown strike to wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

“That was an amazing throw,” Payton told reporters. “We were worried his knee was down. But he had good poise (and) good command. He was smart. … One of the things we really valued on tape was the foot athlete, and the throws that he can make from some unusual positions.”

Nix explained his point of view on the impressive touchdown completion.

“From my perspective, it kind of feels like you’re floating for a second,” Nix told reporters. “I was obviously a little bit close to being down. But I stayed up just long enough. (Sutton) did a great job. … He scrambled with me and got open.”

The Broncos continue their hot streak with the slimmest margins.

“We literally talk about a game of inches,” Nix said. “But it really comes down to an inch or two every once in a while.”

The Broncos won their ninth straight game as they escaped with a 27-26 overtime win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Here are the grades from the victory:

Offense

The offensive burden fell on quarterback Bo Nix’s shoulders, as the Denver running game was a non-factor again without J.K. Dobbins. Nix delivered, besides one mistake in the third quarter. The second-year quarterback led the winning drive in overtime, had a highlight TD pass to Courtland Sutton, and several third-and-long conversions to keep drives alive. No running game is a concern, as Denver couldn’t close out the game in the fourth quarter.

Grade: B

Defense

The Broncos couldn’t come up with the stop they needed until the final play of the game. Nik Bonitto swatted away the Commanders’ two-point conversion to preserve Denver’s ninth straight win. But for most of the game, the Denver defense let Washington convert third and fourth downs. The Commanders found running lanes and a quick passing game that frustrated Vance Joseph’s group. In the end, they made the biggest play of the game.

Grade: C

Special teams

Wil Lutz was perfect as usual, and punter Jeremy Crawshaw had a punt downed inside the 20. Not much happened in the return game for Marvin Mims.

Grade: A

Coaching

Coach Sean Payton has this team prepared for clutch moments. His play-calling was up and down but he was forced to have Nix throw a lot because of a lack of running game. But Payton has his team believing they can win a championship and it shows on the field in games like Sunday.

Grade: B

Two cheers and two boos from the Broncos’ 27-26 overtime win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday night: 

Cheers… 

… to Bo Nix, whose nine-game win streak is the longest of his college or pro careers. While it may have seemed like he played 12 seasons in college, Nix only played five. And the longest win streak he had at Auburn and Oregon was an eight-game heater with the Ducks in 2022. (That stretch included a 49-10 win over the CU Buffs when Nix completed 20 of 24 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns against Karl Dorrell’s Buffs at Folsom Field.) In a recruiting special when ex-Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota faced off with ex-Oregon quarterback Nix, the Broncos leaned into Nix, who zipped around 24 passes by halftime. Such is the life of a quarterback without a legit running game. Nix completed 29 of 45 passes for 321 yards. He threw a bad interception in the fourth quarter to Bobby Wagner. He still won. Again.

Boo… 

… the naive idea the Broncos can win this way in the postseason. How much money does Sean Payton make? Roughly $18 million per season? He’s going to make that paycheck with the schedule that’s coming up — in the regular season and playoffs. Payton so distrusts the Broncos run game he asked Bo Nix to throw on three straight snaps on a key possession — and the Broncos punted after another three-and-out. The Broncos averaged 3.7 yards per carry for the game. That’s the norm now with the Broncos averaging 3.7, 4.3, 3.1 and 2.8 yards per carry over the past four games — with and without injured running back J.K. Dobbins. Starting running back RJ Harvey was so ineffective, Payton inserted Jaleel McLaughlin during a key possession in the second half with the Broncos badly needing to move the ball. It must improve.

Cheers… 

… to Colorado State’s new coach, Jim L. Mora, who announced his arrival in snowy Fort Collins on Sunday. “Hi, Ram family,” Mora said on X. “We just landed in Ram Country.” His assignment is to revive college football in Colorado. No pressure, coach. The 64-year-old Mora has many Colorado ties. His father, Jim Mora, joins Sean Payton as the only Saints head coaches to end their tenures with winning records. And the new CSU coach spent ages 7-12 growing up in Boulder, where his father was a position coach on the defensive side of the ball. Mora also replaced ex-CU coach Rick Neuheisel as the coach at UCLA in 2011. Mora also spent three seasons as coach of the Atlanta Falcons. His final season in Atlanta was Sean Payton’s first year in New Orleans. Payton got the best of Mora, going 2-0 in their matchups.

Boo…

… the New England Patriots, just like old times. The Broncos on Sunday night jumped into pole position for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. And the chase for the top seed is shaping into a battle straight out of 2015: the Patriots (10-2) vs. the Broncos (10-2). Who needs Tom Brady and Peyton Manning when you have Drake Maye and Bo Nix? (OK, let’s not go too far.) New England can retake the top spot by beating the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. The Patriots have a serious edge when it comes to their remaining schedules. And the Pats will meet only one team with a winning record: Giants (2-10), Bills (8-4), Ravens (6-6), Jets (3-9), Dolphins (5-7). The Broncos, however, will face teams with a .500 or better record: Las Vegas (2-10), Green Bay (8-3), Jacksonville (8-4), Kansas City (6-6), Los Angeles Chargers (8-4).

The Broncos (9-2) return to the field on Sunday after their bye week for a primetime road matchup with the Washington Commanders (3-8). Kickoff is set for 6:20 p.m. on NBC.

Overtime

Nik Bonnito knocks the 2-pointer away and Denver wins

Denver goes right down the field and scores a TD. Broncos need a stop and the game is over

Broncos will start with the ball in overtime

Fourth quarter

Jake Moody hits a 32-yard field goal and the game is headed to overtime

Once again, the Broncos can’t put the game away on offense. Washington has the ball at their own 15-yard line

Alex Singleton makes the play of the game as he punches the ball from Zach Ertz on 3rd and 21 which forces Washington to punt with under four minutes

Heckuva play, @alexsingleton49 #ProBowlVote | : @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/7HZacjV6oh

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 1, 2025

Couple first downs for Denver but the drive stalls. Washington has the ball at the 20-yard line

Defense comes up big for the Broncos and the Commanders will punt

Offense goes three-and-out for Denver and the Broncos punt back to the Commanders

The Denver defense holds after the pick but Washington gets a FG. Broncos still up 20-17

On third down, Nix throws it right to Washington LB Bobby Wagner. Nix’s first big mistake of the night

Broncos will begin fourth quarter with the ball

End of third quarter: Broncos 20, Commanders 14

Third quarter

Broncos defense gets off the field on third down and will force a punt

The Denver offense responds with a great drive and takes the lead back with a 1-yard run by RJ Harvey

Rook's in for six. #ProBowlVote + @rjharvey07 pic.twitter.com/u7vuv5vgoZ

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 1, 2025

Washington drives right down the field and takes the lead on an unbelievable catch by Treylon Burks.

Commanders will begin the second half with the ball

Halftime: Broncos 13, Commanders 7

Second quarter

What a play by Bo Nix as he hits Courtland Sutton for a TD. Broncos up 13-7

This throw #ProBowlVote + @SuttonCourtland#ProBowlVote + @BoNix10 pic.twitter.com/9lltWsOdxS

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 1, 2025

Washington does what Denver has been able to — score a TD. Commanders up 7-6

Broncos settle for another Lutz field goal. Denver up 6-0

Dre Greenlaw comes up with a pick to end the Commanders’ drive

Commanders driving to start the second quarter

First quarter

End of first quarter: Broncos 3, Commanders 0

Denver goes three-and-out and will punt the ball back to Washington

Commanders get three first downs but a nice pass breakup by Riley Moss ends the drive. Washington punts

Broncos’ opening drive gets down to the 15-yard line but stalls. Wil Lutz hits the 33-yard field goal.

Broncos start the game with ball

Pregame reading

Broncos at Commanders | The Denver Gazette’s predictionsBroncos center Luke Wattenberg, O-line coach Zach Strief known for their culinary skills | NFL InsiderHow to watch: Broncos at CommandersOLB Jonah Elliss ruled out against Commanders with hamstring injury | Broncos notebook Undrafted Malcolm Roach outworked competition to become key piece of Broncos defenseTomasson’s scouting report: Broncos at Commanders

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — American superstar race skier Mikaela Shiffrin dominated a World Cup slalom on home Colorado snow Sunday to remain perfect in the discipline during the Olympic season.

Shiffrin extended her winning streak in slalom to four races after also claiming the opening two races this season and the final event of last season.

It was Shiffrin’s record-extending 104th World Cup victory and her 67th in slalom — extending the discipline record, too.

Skiing through moderate snowfall, Shiffrin added to her first-run advantage and won by a whopping 1.57 seconds ahead of Lena Duerr of Germany, who moved up from ninth after the opening leg.

United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin competes during a World Cup women’s slalom skiing race, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Copper Mountain. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

“Go Mikaela we love you,” said one sign held up by fans in the finish area at Copper Mountain — which is a half-hour drive from Shiffrin’s hometown of Edwards, Colo.

“I could hear you guys from the start. Thank you,” Shiffrin told the crowd after the second run. “I felt perfect this run. This was was just lights out amazing.”

Teenager Lara Colturi of Albania moved up from fourth after the opening run to finish third, 1.85 behind, despite a big mistake early in her second run. Wendy Holdener finished fourth and Anna Swenn Larsson was fifth.

It was Shiffrin’s first victory in Colorado in more than a decade — since she won two slaloms at Aspen in November 2015. Overall, 12 of her 104 World Cup wins have come in the U.S.

Shiffrin also won the slalom at the 2015 world championships at Vail-Beaver Creek, Colo., in February of that year.

It’s the fourth time in Shiffrin’s career that she has won the opening three slaloms of a season. She won the opening five slaloms in 2018-19, the opening four in 2016-17 and the opening three in 2019-20.

The other American finishers were Paula Moltzan in eighth and Nina O’Brien in 26th.

Shiffrin is expected to be one of the stars of the Feb. 6-22 Milan Cortina Olympics, where women’s Alpine skiing will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

At the 2021 worlds in Cortina, Shiffrin entered four races and won four medals.

It’s been an emotional week for Shiffrin, who was reduced to tears while watching fiancée Aleksander Aamodt Kilde return to racing after nearly two years out with serious injuries in a Thanksgiving super-G at Copper Mountain on Thursday.

Shiffrin will race again next weekend in two giant slaloms in Tremblant, Quebec, before returning to Europe for the rest of the season.

LANDOVER, Md. – Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga, who was listed as questionable earlier in the day due to an illness, was active for Sunday night’s game against Washington at Northwest Stadium.

Inactive for the Broncos were outside linebacker Jonah Elliss (hamstring), tight end Nate Adkins, defensive linemen Jordan Jackson and Sai’vion Jones and offensive lineman Geron Christian. Elliss was ruled out Saturday with a hamstring injury, and Adkins was ruled out Friday with a knee injury.

Inactive for the Commanders were quarterback Jayden Daniels, safety Darnell Savage, linebacker Ale Kaho, long snapper Tyler Ott, tackles Trent Scott and George Fant and defensive end Jalyn Holmes.