Three takeaways from Empower Field at Mile High and the Broncos’ 44-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday: 

1. Little “D” owns Big “D.” Dallas hasn’t beaten Denver in 30 years, a streak that reached eight games with the Broncos’ rout Sunday. The last time Dallas beat Denver, Sean Payton was a quarterbacks coach at Miami — the college in Ohio, not the Dolphins. For all the star power on the Cowboys’ sideline, it was a team-wide effort from the Broncos, who won their fifth straight game.

2. All hail the rookies. In the 2025 draft, the Broncos used their first-round pick on Jahdae Barron (who secured his first interception), their second-round pick on RJ Harvey (who scored his first rushing touchdown), and their third-round pick on Pat Bryant (who scored his first receiving touchdown). No one enjoyed Sunday more than eagle-eyed general manager George Paton. 

3. It’s been years since Empower Field at Mile High was as quiet as it was in the first quarter. Silence is the best option when All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II falls to the turf clutching an injured leg. Surtain sustained a “lower-leg injury,” according to the Broncos, then left the game for good with a shoulder injury. One of the NFL’s healthiest teams finally hit some adversity.