Denver
Broncos
7-9
31
FINAL
34
New Orleans
Saints
8-8
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 18 showdown, the New Orleans Saints narrowly defeated the Denver Broncos 34-31, clinching a crucial victory as they head into the postseason. Both teams entered the game looking to secure their playoff positioning, making the stakes incredibly high in this tightly contested matchup.
Bo Nix delivered a standout performance for the Broncos, throwing for 348 yards and three touchdowns, showcasing his ability to lead the offense under pressure. Meanwhile, Courtland Sutton emerged as his favorite target, racking up 145 receiving yards that kept Denver competitive throughout the game. On the ground, Jahmyr Gibbs led the Saints with 78 rushing yards, helping to balance their offensive attack.
Defensively, the Saints made key plays that shifted the momentum in their favor. Isaiah McDuffie’s interception proved pivotal, halting a potential scoring drive by the Broncos and allowing New Orleans to maintain their lead. With Bryan Bresee adding a sack to the mix, the Saints' defense played a crucial role in securing this hard-fought victory, ultimately sealing their playoff fate.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bo Nix | QB | 36 | 25 | 69% | 348 | 3 | 1 | 116.4 |
| Cade Klubnik | QB | 32 | 21 | 66% | 274 | 3 | 0 | 123.6 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jahmyr Gibbs | HB | 16 | 78 | 4.9 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Zach Charbonnet | HB | 8 | 52 | 6.5 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| RJ Harvey | HB | 13 | 46 | 3.5 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| J.K. Dobbins | HB | 3 | 17 | 5.7 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| British Brooks | FB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Bo Nix | QB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Courtland Sutton | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Cade Klubnik | QB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Christian Watson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courtland Sutton | WR | 6 | 145 | 24.2 | 31 | 1 | 41 | 0 |
| Christian Watson | WR | 6 | 85 | 14.2 | 36 | 1 | 46 | 0 |
| Troy Franklin | WR | 7 | 82 | 11.7 | 21 | 2 | 20 | 0 |
| Marvin Mims Jr | WR | 8 | 72 | 9.0 | 17 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 4 | 67 | 16.8 | 16 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Thad Andrews | WR | 4 | 61 | 15.3 | 12 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Theo Johnson | TE | 3 | 43 | 14.3 | 8 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| Max Klare | TE | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Eduardo Chavez | TE | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| RJ Harvey | HB | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Emmett Church | TE | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Malcolm Simmons | WR | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dre Greenlaw | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Isaiah McDuffie | SAM | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Drew Sanders | MIKE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Bresee | DT | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | WILL | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Riley | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Surtain II | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sai'vion Jones | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Moss | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tyler Garay | SAM | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonathon Cooper | LEDGE | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamren Kinchens | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Talanoa Hufanga | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Nik Bonitto | REDGE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Stutsman | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Allen | DT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Emerson Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lukas Van Ness | LEDGE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahdae Barron | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spillane | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rashan Gary | LEDGE | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Drake Thomas | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDGE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antwan Brockers | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethan McLane | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 45 |
| Jeremy Crawshaw | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wil Lutz | K | 2 | 2 | 4 | 46 |

