Cowboys vs. Broncos takeaways: Denver dominates Dallas behind stifling defense, Bo Nix's four TDs

Jarrett Stidham checks in after Nix threw for 247 yards, four passing touchdowns and an interception on 19 of 29 passing. 

Milton showed off his rocket launcher right arm with a 35-yard deep ball touchdown to wide receiver Jalen Tolbert on a vertical route down the right sideline. Denver leads 44-24 with 4:44 left to play. 

Backup QB Joe Milton, RB Jaydon Blue and more check into the game with under seven minutes left and trailing 44-17. 

Quarterback Bo Nix's fourth passing touchdown comes on a five-yard checkdown to running back RJ Harvey. Dallas' defense has no answers as Denver continues to light up the scoreboard. The Cowboys trail 44-17 with 7:14 left in the game. 

QB Dak Prescott appeared to think he drew Denver's defensive line offsides, but the call didn't come. That led to the  Dallas Cowboys QB throwing a back-breaking interception. Denver leads 37-17 with 10:15 left in the game. 

Denver wide receiver Troy Franklin broke wide open again for his second receiving touchdown, this time for a seven-yard score. The Broncos lead by 20, 37-17, with 12:43 left to play. 

Dallas' defense has struggled so much and is so injury-plagued it may have been worth just going for it in that spot down 13, 30-17. 

Dallas is running out of defensive backs

Surtain II didn't come out of the locker room to return to action in the second half. He awkwardly tackled wide receiver George Pickens on the final snap of the afternoon. 

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix literally hit wide receiver Courtland Sutton in the chest on a third-and-13 end zone target. However, Sutton simply dropped the football, so Denver settled for a 42-yard field goal. That's a huge break for a wounded Cowboys defense. Denver leads 30-17 with 6:02 left in the third quarter. 

Dallas marched 65 yards in 13 plays to open the second half in the end zone on a one-yard rushing touchdown by running back Javonte Williams. Two defensive pass interference calls on Broncos cornerback Riley Moss while in coverage of All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb aided Dallas. Williams' eight rushing touchdowns this season are tied for the most in a player's first eight career games with the Dallas Cowboys with Herschel Walker in 1986. Denver leads 27-17, and the Broncos' first drive of the second half is up next. 

Pickens toe-tapped his way in bounds to catch a football Prescott had to layer over the Broncos' zone defense to convert on a crucial fourth-and-three for a 17-yard gain. 

CBS Sports' Tracy Wolfson reports Surtain II hasn't come out of the locker room, and that his shoulder injury is not related to his early-game leg injury

Prescott attempted to force a throw over the middle to tight end Jake Ferguson, and it was intercepted by first-round rookie cornerback Jahdae Barron. Denver leads 27-10, but Dallas gets the football to start the third quarter. 

Nix and rookie third-round pick wide receiver Pat Bryant burned seventh-round corner rookie Trikweze Bridges deep down the left sideline for a 24-yard touchdown on a vertical route to give Denver their biggest lead of the day. The Broncos are head by 17, 27-10, with 39 seconds left in the half. 

Dallas safety Alijah Clark got burned with a pass interference penalty that pushed Denver 32 yards down the field, and four plays later the Broncos were in the end zone. Rookie running back RJ Harvey plunged into the end zone on third-and-goal from the one on a direct, shotgun snap for his second touchdown of the game. Denver's two-point try was unsuccessful after an incomplete RPO pass from Nix, so the Broncos leads is now 10, 20-10 with 3:47 left in the first half. 

Williams bulldozed his way into the end zone from a yard out thanks to a key block from fullback Hunter Luepke. Dallas is back in the game and trailing by just seven, 14-10, with 7:29 left to play in the half. 

Dallas pinned Denver deep on their side field a their own 10 on a 42-yard punt by Bryan Anger. A key pass breakup by rookie cornerback Trikweze Bridges on a third-and-9 throw by quarterback Bo Nix gets Dallas off the field. They'll take over on their own 41 down 11, 14-3, with 13:44 left in the first half. 

A holding penalty on right tackle Terence Steele leads to a Cowboys punt. They still trail 14-3. 

All the injuries in Dallas' secondary showed on Denver quarterback Bo Nix's 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Troy Franklin. Following a holding penalty on Broncos offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey, Franklin found himself wide open in the middle of the end zone. Being down three safeties and cornerback Trevon Diggs led to a clear miscommunication on that play. The Broncos lead 14-3 with 3:04 left in the first quarter. 

After a four-yard rush by running back Javonte Williams on first down, Dallas' drive short-circuited. Left tackle Tyer Guyton got called for a false start penalty, which led to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb's six-yard gain on a screen to set up a third-and-five. Guyton then got cooked off the line of scrimmage by Denver edge rusher Nik Bonitto, which led to a sack for quarterback Dak Prescott for Jonathan Franklin-Myers. The Broncos take over at their own 38 after Dallas' punt. They lead 7-3 with 5:43 left in the first quarter. 

Denver worked a pin-pull blocking scheme out, and second-round rookie running back RJ Harvey exploded down the left sideline for a 40-yard touchdown. The Cowboys' injuries at linebacker and safety were apparent on that play. Denver leads 7-3 with 8:13 left in the first quarter. 

That's the latest on Surtain II via CBS Sports' Tracy Wolfson. 

Dallas' drive was derailed by a third-and-goal false start penalty on fill-in center Brock Hoffman. They reached the one, but then Dak Prescott threw incomplete to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb on third-and-goal from the six. Kicker Brandon Aubrey drained the 24-yard field goal. The Cowboys lead 3-0 with 10:34 left in the first quarter. 

Surtain, the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, broke up an end zone target from Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott to wide receiver George Pickens, but he landed awkwardly on his leg. He's being evaluated in the end zone.

Denver Broncos CB Riley Moss just got absolutely cooked by #DallasCowboys WR CeeDee Lamb for a 29-yard gain. Moss entered Sunday with the lowest completion percentage allowed in the NFL, but Lamb made it look easy early on.    

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix's throw to wide receiver Pat Bryant was incredibly off target. He threw low and way behind Bryant, which allowed Cowboys rookie cornerback Trikweze Bridges to make a diving interception. The Cowboys take over on their own 48 for their first drive of the game in a scoreless game with 13:35 left in the first quarter. Truly a terrible throw by Nix.