Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga’s ball-machine grind pays off with pair of picks in win over Rams

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The two interceptions by Talanoa Hufanga that everyone will remember are the ones that sealed Denver's comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams.

The two potential picks that slipped through his hands earlier in the game will be the ones that continue to drive the Broncos safety.

Hufanga has been working with a ball machine before and after practices — inside the training facility and outside on the turf — to help him maximize his interception chances.

This after going back and reviewing all the plays from a year ago in his first season with Denver. He discovered one thing: "Left a lot out there,” he said.

Hufanga came up big for the Broncos on Sunday in picking off a pair of Matthew Stafford passes during a 30-26 win over the Rams. His handiwork included a 66-yard pick-6 that swung the momentum for the Broncos (2-1) and another at the goal line to seal the game.

Those were his first interceptions in nearly three years.

“To be able to finish it out in a time where I haven’t really caught anything yet as a Bronco, it definitely felt pretty good,” Hufanga said.

That was just part of a game-changing performance by Hufanga, who also had five tackles, three pass breakups and a sack to earn AFC defensive player of the week honors on Wednesday. He became the seventh Broncos safety to receive the award, joining the company of Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, T.J. Ward, John Lynch, Steve Atwater and Steve Foley.

“It was fun watching him have the success that he had during the game,” receiver Courtland Sutton said. “It only speaks testaments to the type of player that he is, the way that he works, the way he comes into the building every day to be the best leader he can be, and pushing everybody to be their best.

"It was fun to watch it pay off."

There was a moment Sunday where he needed to give himself a quick pep-talk after a pair of potential interceptions went through his grasp.

“You try and not get too down on yourself,” said the 27-yesar-old Hufanga, who went to USC. “It was in there, for sure, ‘Ah, don’t be the guy — make the plays when they come.’ So just sitting back with some patience and letting the game come to me."

He listened to himself.

“His hardest critic is himself,” cornerback Riley Moss said. "He’s a stud. Absolute stud. No more deserving guy than (him). Selfless. It was fun to see.”

Now, another challenge for Hufanga: Facing his former team.

A fifth-round pick in 2021, Hufanga played 49 games over four seasons with the 49ers (3-0). He still has good friends over there such as quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle.

“It was a lot of ‘thud’ during the practices when I was there, and so now it’s actually live,” Hufanga said of the hitting. “They understand what it is. Everyone is trying to compete, and everyone wants to win. It’s not like there is a time for just catching up — that is usually after the game."

For his contributions against the Rams, Hufanga received a game ball. Then came the AFC defensive player of the week nod, which he took in stride.

“Obviously, it’s a great honor just to be recognized,” Hufanga said. “But at the end of the day, does it really mean anything going into this week? Not really. Because at the end of the day, you've got to go and do it again.”

Notes: Running back J.K. Dobbins (hip), returner/receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (foot) and receiver Jaylen Waddle (foot) were full participants in practice Wednesday. Broncos coach Sean Payton downplayed Waddle being spotted in a walking boot. “You’d be amazed at how many players after a game you put a boot on them,” Payton said. “He practiced full today, so that would be a good example. We have to find a way to have him not walking through the parking lot and let you guys ask me questions on Wednesday about a boot.” ... Linebacker Dondrea Tillman (hamstring) didn't practice.

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Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga holds footballs following an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga, second from right, celebrates his game-ending interception with teammate linebacker Jonah Elliss, right, at the completion of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga (9) makes an interception on a pass from Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford on the final play of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga returns an interception for a touchdown on a pass by Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Venezuelan delivery driver who was shot in his car by a federal immigration agent in Texas will remain in custody on charges that he assaulted an officer while trying to evade arrest, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

Judge Dustin Howell said that the case against Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, should proceed after prosecutors presented body-worn camera footage of the encounter in Austin, in which Garces Perez allegedly struck a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer with his driver's side mirror.

Garces Perez is charged with one count of assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. His case has sparked widespread outrage across the Texas capital city and brought renewed criticism from Democrats of President Donald Trump’s aggressive crackdown on immigration.

With a bullet still lodged in his back, Garces Perez appeared in court in a wheelchair. His attorneys said he still urgently needs medical care, 10 days after being shot. He also wore a sling on his arm and needed help putting on a headset to listen to a translation of the proceedings.

The defense called the charges against Garces Perez “retaliation” and argued that the camera footage was inconclusive because it didn't fully capture the moment when he allegedly tried to flee.

The hearing also included testimony from Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Rick Bazan, who signed the criminal complaint charging Garces Perez with assault. The defense argued that Bazan, whose agency is the investigative arm of ICE, could not confirm whether the ICE agent was actually hit by the car mirror since no federal investigators interviewed the agent directly. Bazan also couldn't explain why officer allegedly struck by the mirror was not wearing a body-worn camera.

Footage provided Wednesday in court shows officers pulling Garces Perez over Sept. 20 in Austin, where he was making deliveries for DoorDash.

The video showed Garces Perez giving officers his drivers license through a crack in his window and then asking in Spanish if he can park his car so that a relative could come retrieve it. The officer demanded Garces Perez get out of the car multiple times, to which he asked if he could park his own car so a family member could come retrieve it. After a back and forth, Garces Perez abruptly and rapidly drives off.

Prosecutors presented a video from cameras at a nearby business showing the ensuing high-speed chase through residential streets. The shooting itself was not captured on the footage shared in court.

The federal officer who shot Garces Perez wasn’t wearing a body-worn camera. The immigration officer who did have a camera was driving in a separate car and turned the camera off during the pursuit.

Garces Perez said he was struck by a law enforcement SUV and spun around before he was shot. Federal officers told investigators, however, that Garces Perez attempted to strike an officer with his car at the end of the chase before the unidentified officer fired his weapon.

The accusations against Garces Perez recall previous claims made by immigration agents after other high-profile shootings similarly accusing drivers of weaponizing their vehicles. In a handful of cases, the allegations have been undermined or walked back after the release of body-worn camera footage, drawing renewed scrutiny about the DHS’s reliance on vehicular stops to execute arrests.

Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, one of Garces Perez's immigration attorneys, accused ICE of denying him medical treatment for his bullet wound.

“ICE’s conduct has been so egregious, that physicians, nurses, medical ethicists and health advocates have come together to demand his release,” she said outside court after the hearing.

Garces Perez entered the U.S. in 2024 using CBP One, a program begun under President Joe Biden that allowed migrants to schdule appointments with U.S. authorities to be considered for asylum. President Donald Trump ended the program on his first day back in office.

Garces Perez was an asylum seeker and had a valid work permit, according to his lawyer. She said a judge later issued a deportation order after Garces Perez missed an immigration court hearing because the notice had been sent to a former address.

Judge Howell said he denied Garces Perez bond on the basis that he could be a flight risk to Venezuela, where he has a child.

His attorneys have filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent his removal from the U.S.

Riddle reported from Los Angeles.

Supporters gather around a news conference for Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a Venezuelan man shot by an ICE officer, at the offices of attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, in Austin, Texas, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

This image made from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) body camera footage shows an ICE officer stopping Wilber Rafael Garces Perez on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement via AP)