Instant Reaction: Broncos Beat Dolphins 39-36 After Wild Fourth Quarter

They sure didn't make it easy for themselves, but the Denver Broncos avoided a home loss with a 39-36 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Turning Point:

The Broncos iced this game late in the fourth quarter. Down 32-28, the Dolphins had the chance to take the lead with a touchdown...but a T.J. Ward interception of Ryan Tannehill set the Broncos up inside the Miami 10-yard-line, and Peyton Manning's ensuing touchdown pass put Denver up 39-28 with 3:13 remaining. Despite another Miami touchdown that frayed some nerves, that 11-point lead proved to be too much for the Dolphins to overcome.

Denver MVP:

At this point, you may as well assume it's Peyton until we tell you otherwise. Manning was superb today, and the Broncos needed very bit of his performance to scrape by a determined, underrated Dolphins squad. C.J. Anderson and Emmanuel Sanders would have been MVPs on any other day, but Manning was a class above.

Miami MVP:

LB Jelani Jenkins was everywhere today, and he gets the nod while Ryan Tannehill gets a close second. Jenkins had 11 tackles (9 solo) with a sack and a knockdown on Peyton Manning.

Stat of the Day:

Despite the loss, the Dolphins were 5-5 on red zone attempts. Their red zone offense and general efficiency were why Miami was still in this game despite holding the ball for 25:43 to Denver's 34:17.

What's Next?

The 6-5 Dolphins turn their attention to a divisional Monday Night game against the New York Jets, while 8-3 Denver travels to Kansas City for a huge AFC West matchup with major playoff implications.