A nickel cornerback’s positioning on any given play, Ja’Quan McMillian reflected, can often tip a defense’s hand.
So McMillian bent in his stance on a monumental third down Sunday night, trying not to show blitz. Because he was the ace up defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s sleeve.
The Broncos’ final defensive stand in a euphoric 22-19 win over Kansas City was a product of defensive coordinator Joseph’s trust in McMillian, and a deeper product of McMillian’s IQ — the same intuitive playmaking that turned him from an undrafted 5-foot-10 grinder into a three-year starter in Denver.
McMillian had read a tell from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — he’d flash his hands up to indicate the snap was coming — earlier in Sunday’s game.