Instant analysis after the Broncos’ victory over the Raiders on Sunday, their first win ever in Las Vegas:
Bo Holds Court: Bo Nix grabbed his back but not before grabbing the Raiders by the nape of the neck. When Nix found Courtland Sutton with a dart in the back of the end zone in the fourth quarter, it shoved the Broncos ahead by 10 points. It reflected his hot streak and baked-in connection with the veteran receiver. Nix has accounted for 20 touchdowns and two turnovers over the past 10 games, one of the best rookie stretches in the NFL since 2000. Sutton has emerged as a big reason, if not a revelation. He caught six passes for 78 yards in the third quarter alone. Sutton found his traction with Russell Wilson last season with 10 touchdowns, but has become even more reliable for the rookie quarterback. He is on pace for 1,054 yards as he tries to become the franchise’s first 1,000-yard receiver since he accomplished the feat in 2019.
Isn’t that Special: For the second time in three weeks, the Broncos were haunted by special teams mistakes. Denver went under the hood and tuned up its field goal operation — and the rest of the engine began leaking oil. A 59-yard kickoff return by Dylan Laube fueled the Raiders’ first touchdown drive. Then later in the first half, Las Vegas, befitting a desperate team, executed a fake punt, completing a 34-yard pass for a first down. It led to a Raiders field goal, allowing the Raiders to keep momentum in a stadium that appeared to have more fans for the visiting team. Where have you gone Mike Westhoff? A lonely Broncos Country turns its eyes to you. On the positive side, Wil Lutz drilled five field goals.
Nik the Quick: Nik Bonitto has been compared favorably to Elvis Dumervil because of his first step quickness and ability to dip and duck. The former Oklahoma star now has statistics to merit being mentioned in the same breath as former Broncos stars. His strip sack of Desmond Ridder with 2:28 remaining in the game not only secured the victory, but made Bonitto the first Broncos player to reach double-digit sacks in a season since 2018. That year Von Miller collected 14.5, while Bradley Chubb added 12.
What’s Up Clock? The Broncos snapped their eight-game road losing streak to the Raiders, spanning two cities, but not without creating Pepto-Bismol moments. With a seven-point lead with 3:38 left, Sean Payton began a bizarre sequence of play calls. Rather than run the ball at least twice to force the Raiders to burn timeouts, Payton called three consecutive passes. Odd? Yes. And worse, they were all incomplete. So the Broncos only soaked 15 seconds off the clock and one of Nix’s attempts was nearly intercepted. It ultimately did not matter. But Payton knows his team must play a cleaner game against better teams moving forward. After Sunday, that list includes the play caller as well.
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