The Denver Broncos aren’t collecting many style points these days, but they don’t care. As long as the final scoreboard favors them, they’ll take it — no matter how ugly it looks.
With a suffocating defensive performance and just enough offense to scrape by, the Broncos beat the Las Vegas Raiders 10-7 on a blustery Thursday night in the Rocky Mountains. The win pushed Denver to 8-2, the best record in the NFL, while extending its winning streak to seven games — the team’s longest in a decade — and its home winning streak to 10.
Denver’s defense once again carried the load, sacking Geno Smith six times and holding the Raiders without a first down over seven straight drives. The Broncos now have 46 sacks through 10 games, the most by any team in that span since at least 1990.
The game’s deciding play came late in the third quarter when safety J.L. Skinner blocked a punt — with his facemask — to set up Denver’s struggling offense at the Las Vegas 12-yard line. But even that wasn’t simple: three plays lost 2 yards before Wil Lutz drilled a 32-yard field goal with five seconds left in the quarter to break a 7-all tie.
Las Vegas (2-7), playing without recently traded wideout Jakobi Meyers, had one last chance. After cornerback Kyu Blue Kelly’s second interception gave the Raiders the ball at the Denver 45, Daniel Carlson pushed a 48-yard field-goal attempt wide right with 4:26 left — his latest misfire in a rocky season that’s included a blocked potential game-winner in Week 4 and a missed extra point in last week’s one-point loss to Jacksonville.
From there, Bo Nix and the Broncos offense did just enough, bleeding out the final minutes with a slow, clock-eating march that ended in kneel-downs inside the Raiders’ 20.
The numbers told the story of an offensive grind. Denver finished with more penalties (11) than first downs (10) and went three-and-out seven times in 13 possessions. The Raiders weren’t much better, undone by shaky pass protection and untimely flags of their own.
The Broncos’ trend of slow starts continued — they managed just 6 yards on six first-quarter plays and trailed 7-0 after Ashton Jeanty’s 4-yard touchdown run capped a short Raiders drive.
Denver’s offense finally showed life on its fifth series, sparked by J.K. Dobbins’ 13-yard burst — the team’s first first down of the night. Four plays later, Nix found rookie receiver Troy Franklin for an 11-yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7 midway through the second quarter.
The windy conditions and short week took a toll on both sides. A steady stream of players — including Smith — shuffled in and out of the blue medical tent. Smith briefly left after being tripped up by Nik Bonitto and flattened by Malcolm Roach. Backup Kenny Pickett came in for a single incompletion before Smith returned, though he later limped into the locker room appearing to favor his leg.
Despite the sloppiness, Denver’s formula remains effective: elite defense, timely special teams, and just enough offense to survive.
With the win, the Broncos maintain sole possession of the AFC’s top record heading into a mini-bye before facing the Chargers next weekend.
Ugly or not, they’re winning — and right now, that’s all that matters in Denver. Raiders are home against Dallas Cowboys on Monday, Nov. 17, Broncos are home for the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 16.
