Hufanga intercepts twice as Broncos rally past Rams in 30-26 thriller

Talanoa Hufanga intercepted Matt Stafford twice in the closing stages as the Denver Broncos recovered from a 16-0 half-time deficit to beat the Los Angeles Rams 30-26 on Sunday. According to BBC Sport's report by Ben Collins, the safety scored from his first interception before ending the Rams' final possession with another, settling a game that changed hands repeatedly in the closing minutes.

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Los Angeles controlled the opening half, keeping Denver scoreless while building a 16-point advantage. The Broncos erased that deficit in the third quarter, setting up a contest between two teams who had lost in last season's conference championship games. Both had followed disappointing season openers with victories in week two before meeting in Denver.

The first of three lead changes inside the final five minutes came when Hufanga intercepted Stafford and returned the ball 66 yards for a touchdown. Stafford, last season's Most Valuable Player, answered with a drive that took just over a minute. His 48-yard touchdown pass to Konata Mumpfield restored the Rams' lead, forcing Denver to produce another response with time running down.

Bo Nix supplied it at the end of a lengthy Broncos possession, reaching the ball into the end zone to put the home side ahead again. Stafford still had 47 seconds to attempt a winning drive and moved Los Angeles into position for one last chance. With two seconds remaining, he threw towards the end zone from 19 yards out, only for Hufanga to make the interception that secured Denver's victory.

The finish capped a Sunday in which 12 of the NFL's 14 games were decided by no more than eight points, matching the league record for one-score games in a day, BBC Sport reported. Washington also delivered a narrow victory, beating defending Super Bowl champions Seattle 33-31 to end the Seahawks' 12-game winning streak, which had included their championship run.

Another late finish came in the NFL's first game in Rio de Janeiro. Baltimore beat Dallas 34-31 after Lamar Jackson's 27-yard completion set up Tyler Loop's 56-yard field goal as time expired. The Cowboys had tied the score with seven seconds left, but the Ravens' final sequence prevented overtime at the Maracana stadium.