Denver Broncos end eight-game losing streak against Las Vegas Raiders

The Denver Broncos started slowly, but turned up the heat midway through the second quarter and decisively defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 34-18.

The victory ends a five-year losing streak against one of their biggest rivals. Even better, it brings them to 3-2 on the season. They host another divisional game next week, playing the Los Angeles Chargers, but first let’s take a look at some immediate reactions to today’s big win.

Bo Nix and the Broncos offense finally rose to the occasion

Every fan across Broncos Country knows that the offense has been the Broncos’ weakest link this season. At the beginning of the week I wrote that they had to do something to help the team win. And what do you know? Against the Raiders, they did exactly that.

It wasn’t a great start for them, but Nix and the offense exploded in the second half. They were great in the red zone and much better in third-down situations. Denver’s rushing attack managed more than 100 yards and averaged over five yards per carry. After controlling the ball for most of the first half, Nix looked noticeably different in the second half, making more shots down the field.

His footwork looked much better and he was in the pocket. What I liked most was its ability to deliver it to different players on time. Eleven – yes – eleven different players had catches in this game. Nix was pretty good at making his strides and getting the ball to the right player at the right time.

Nix finished the day going 19 of 27 for 205 yards, two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. These stats could have been better if there wasn’t a bit of meat left on the bone – but I’ll get to that missed play later. Overall, this was the type of performance and growth we wanted to see from the rookie quarterback.

There is still a lot of work to be done, but the offense took advantage of the defense’s turnovers and put points on the board. Let’s hope Nix and the offense can keep it going next weekend against the Chargers.

The Broncos defense came into its own after a slow start to start the game

The Broncos’ defensive performance under Vance Joseph was the best offense in the entire National Football League through September. After giving up a 57-yard touchdown pass to Brock Bowers and a 40-yard run to Ameer Abdullah early in the game, the defense came together and helped change the course of the game for the Broncos.

With the Broncos down 10-3 and the Raiders gaining momentum, all hope seemed lost midway through the second quarter. Until Surtain beat Gardner Minshew and used the distance for a miraculous pick-six. It was a game-changing play that gave the Broncos the momentum to persevere and ultimately win. No doubt the legend himself, Champ Bailey, who was in attendance, was thrilled when this happened.

After that play, everything started to fall into sync for the Broncos defense. They were able to build pressure and sack Gardner Minshew. They also did a good job of limiting their attack speed. Late in the third quarter, Riley Moss grabbed an interception that resulted in Minshew being benched and replaced by Aiden O’Connell.

But this change did them no favors. He looked even worse and in the fourth quarter he threw an interception against Surtain, who had his second turnover of the day. Near the end of the game, they managed to score a touchdown and score two points, but that came after the Broncos had a 24-point lead and started playing more conservatively on defense.

Sure, they gave up a few big plays, but I liked what I saw from Denver’s defense for the fifth straight week.

One point of criticism: undisciplined and too many penalties on offense

One of the Broncos’ consistent problems so far has been their penchant for penalties. Whether fans want to hear it or not, the high number of these is definitely due to poor coaching. How often have we seen drives stop or go backwards because of this? Be it possession of the ball, delay of game, man not being allowed to play on the field – the Broncos shoot themselves in the foot far too often with penalties.

In addition, this team played at home today. How many times did they use all that time to get the game going and hit the ball? I’m not sure if the games are too complicated or what, but the clock management was suspect in my opinion. After Troy Franklin missed a perfectly thrown bomb that would have been a touchdown, Bo Nix was very heated with Sean Payton on the sideline.

The missed touchdown was certainly a little frustrating, but maybe some of the play calls upset him too? I’m sure this will be clarified in the post-match press conference. It was nice to get the win, but I really wish the offense played more energetically. Nix’s performance appears to improve significantly as the tempo is increased. Maybe we’ll see more of it next week.