DENVER — The Denver Broncos relied on a relentless pass rush and stingy defense to grind out a 10-7 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders Thursday night at Empower Field at Mile High.
Denver improved to 8-2 and extended its winning streak to seven games, powered largely by a defense that sacked Raiders quarterback Geno Smith six times and limited Las Vegas to under 200 yards. The game’s decisive moments came courtesy of Denver pressure and a special-teams play that swung field position late.
Scoring and key plays
– The Broncos’ only touchdown came when Bo Nix connected with Troy Franklin. Denver also added a field goal after a blocked Raiders punt gave them excellent field position.
– Las Vegas’ lone score was a rushing touchdown from rookie Ashton Jeanty. Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson missed a 48-yard field goal with 4:26 remaining that would have tied the game.
– In the third quarter Denver safety JL Skinner dove through the punt rush and blocked AJ Cole’s punt with his helmet; the ball caromed off Skinner’s face mask and Denver recovered at the Raiders’ 12-yard line, setting up a go-ahead field goal.
Broncos offense and miscues
Denver’s offense was far from smooth. The unit didn’t earn its first offensive first down until late in the second quarter and had seven three-and-outs plus a possession that ended with an interception. Nix finished 16-of-28 for 150 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Broncos also missed a 59-yard field-goal attempt by Wil Lutz.
Despite the offensive hiccups, Denver’s defense carried the day. The unit registered six sacks (five in the first half) and held the Raiders to 186 yards. Through 10 games the Broncos have 46 sacks — a total that puts them on a damaging pace as the season progresses.
Raiders’ struggles and bright spots
Las Vegas, now 2-7, struggled with penalties and rookie mistakes. Two young receivers given more playing time after a recent trade committed penalties that wiped out big plays: a holding call on Jack Bech negated a 32-yard run by Ashton Jeanty, and an offensive pass interference flag on Dont’e Thornton Jr. wiped out a fourth-down touchdown to Tre Tucker. Jeanty also dropped two passes, one of which led to an interception.
Geno Smith battled through pressure but was repeatedly harassed. He completed 16 of 26 passes for 143 yards and threw one interception; he was sacked six times and faced heavy pressure on multiple dropbacks. The interception was Smith’s latest, bringing his season total to 12 — the most by a Raiders quarterback through nine games since Kerry Collins in 2004.
Turning points and coaching decisions
The blocked punt in the third quarter was the pivotal special-teams swing. Denver converted the resulting short field into a field goal to take a 10-7 lead and then held on defensively.
On offense Denver coach Sean Payton again faced questions about first-half sequencing. The Broncos ran just six times in the first half and struggled for consistent, short-yardage success; a third-and-1 in the third quarter resulted in an attempted pass by wide receiver Courtland Sutton that ended with a sack rather than a short-yardage run.
What to watch next
Denver’s defense will get another big test next week when the Broncos host the Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday, Nov. 16). Las Vegas heads to Dallas to face the Cowboys on Monday night (Nov. 17).
Bottom line
The Broncos won another low-scoring, defense-first game thanks to a dominant pass rush and timely special-teams play. The Raiders showed flashes — including stout defensive play that held Denver to 220 yards — but costly penalties, drops and turnovers undermined their chances. Denver’s defense continues to carry the team, while the offense still has work to do to achieve greater consistency.