Courtland Sutton’s recent strong performances are supporting rookie Bo Nix and boosting the Denver Broncos’ playoff chances

What’s driving the Denver Broncos’ unexpected success is the growing bond between rookie quarterback Bo Nix and veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

Whenever the Broncos (7-5) need a crucial catch, a key penalty, or a timely touchdown, Sutton is usually the one stepping up. He showed that again on Sunday, catching eight passes out of 10 targets for 97 yards and two touchdowns, which helped the Broncos come from behind to win 29-19 against Las Vegas.

“Courtland played tremendous,” coach Sean Payton said.

Once again.

“He’s just reliable,” Nix said. “He’s just always there when you need him.”

Sutton’s size (6-foot-4 and 216 pounds) and experience (in his seventh NFL season) make him the perfect target and safety net for the rookie quarterback, whose confidence is growing with each game.

“He’s smart. He’s savvy. He makes plays when the ball’s in the air,” Nix said. “You can trust him. When it’s up in the air, it’s his or nobody’s. It’s not going to be a pick.”

Nix’s first touchdown pass to Sutton was an 18-yard throw that helped Nix break the rookie record for touchdown passes in Denver, surpassing Marlin Briscoe’s 1968 record of 14. The two connected again with 5:30 left in the game, putting the Broncos up by two scores.

The Broncos were trailing 13-9 at halftime, and Nix said they knew they had to get the ball to Sutton more in the second half. Sutton had caught just one pass for 17 yards in the first half.

“Didn’t target him (much) in the first half,” Nix said. “We come out and say, ‘Look, Courtland, this is your half.’ We take over the game. He goes for two touchdowns. That just kind of speaks for what he means to our team.”

Sutton has been on a roll since he was not targeted at all in Denver’s 33-10 win over New Orleans on October 17. (Payton mentioned last week that the game was an unusual one, as they had planned a lot of plays for Sutton that just didn’t work out for various reasons.)

Before that game, Sutton had 21 catches on 49 targets for 277 yards and one touchdown in the six games prior. In the five games since, he’s caught 36 out of 48 passes for 467 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw a touchdown pass to Nix on a “Philly Special” play in Week 9 at Baltimore.

“I think we’re just scratching the surface,” Sutton said.

Thanks to the chemistry between Nix and Sutton, the Broncos are in a strong position to grab the seventh and final playoff spot as December approaches.