First things first: Pay no attention to the final score.
The Denver Broncos finally took care of business against a lesser opponent today, dominating the Las Vegas Raiders to post a 24-17 win that extended their winning streak to ten games as they kept pace with the New England Patriots for the top seed in the AFC.
“Efficiency” was the code word of the day for the Broncos. They opened the game with a 14-play, 81-yard drive that ate up most of the first quarter, with quarterback Bo Nix utilizing the short pass to go with the surprising reappearance of the Denver ground game. Nix finished off the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run, as running backs RJ Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin constantly gashed the Raider defense.
The Raiders countered with a touchdown drive of their own, and for a brief moment it looked like this one might actually be a game. Quarterback Geno Smith also relied on the short passing game, with running back Ashton Jeanty serving as his counterpart, and a 15-yard touchdown strike to tight end Brock Bowers tied the game.
Both offenses sputtered briefly after that, until the Broncos retook the lead via a special teams score, courtesy of dynamic return man Marvin Mims Jr., who took a Raiders punt to the house from 48 yards out. The Broncos threatened again, but a drive that ended on downs kept the score at 14-7.
Denver took control for good in the third quarter with another long drive, with this one covering 91 yards. It was another ball-control special, with Harvey providing the finishing touch on a three yard run.
The game was basically over after that. Denver’s defense dominated Smith and the Raiders, with the Raiders offense once again posting under 200 yards before garbage time ensued.
A Wil Lutz field goal capped off the scoring for the Broncos to make it 24-7, with the Raiders following up with a ten-point “comeback” after Kenny Pickett entered the game. The most noteworthy aspect of this is that the Broncos entered this game as 7.5-8 point favorites with an over/under number of 40, so Pickett’s success almost certainly led to a lot of ticked-off bettors.
Bo Nix finished with a quiet 212 yards after going 31-for-38, but the most pleasing part of this game for the Broncos has to be the running game. Harvey ended up with 75 yards on 17 carries, and Denver averaged 4.9 yards on the ground for the game to go with two rushing touchdowns.
The Broncos now officially enter the “final gauntlet” part of their schedule. They host the Green Bay Packers next Sunday in a game with massive playoff implications for both teams, and after that the new AFC South leaders, the Jacksonville Jaguars come to town. Then there’s that Christmas night road game against the Kansas City Chiefs, followed at home by the Chargers as the regular season comes to a close.
As for the Raiders, they visit Philadelphia to play the Eagles, and probably the less said about that right now, the better.