The Denver Broncos had a rough first half, but a hot second half in which they outscored the Raiders 20-6 en route to the team’s first win ever in Las Vegas, 29-19, on Sunday. With that victory, the Broncos claimed their first season sweep over the Raiders since 2017.
We take a look at the studs and duds from the Broncos’ fourth win in six games.
Stud: K Wil Lutz
Lutz contributed 17 points to the Broncos, including field goals of 38, 53, 54, 45, 33 yards and two extra points. Lutz and the field goal unit have been exceptional since the game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dud: Slow start
The Broncos’ first drive ended in a punt, and the rest of the first half was a muddled mess as the Broncos only finished the first 30 minutes with nine points. Faster starts will have to be a priority in a playoff-type stretch against the Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs in the final six weeks.
Stud: WR Courtland Sutton
Sutton had a big day with two beautiful touchdowns against the Raiders defense. Sutton finished with eight catches for 97 yards and the two scores.
Dud: Clock management
The Broncos’ clock management in the second half was bad. The Broncos ran out of timeouts by the 5:34 mark of the fourth quarter, on the critical final touchdown drive. The Broncos also got the ball back with 3:38 left in the game, and the drive ended with three straight incomplete passes, taking only 15 seconds of game time.
Stud: Defense and turnovers
The Denver defense held an opponent to less than 20 points for the eighth time in 2024, forcing two turnovers against a beleaguered Raiders team. The two turnovers proved crucial for the Broncos, proving the final margin of victory (10 points off turnover).
Stud: QB Bo Nix
Quarterback Bo Nix started off slow, but got going once the game progressed. Nix’s raised his combined touchdown total to 21, which continues to rank first among all 2024 rookie quarterbacks. Nix made history again in the win, and it seems like he’s breaking a record every week. Nix finished the game against the Raiders 25-of-42 for 273 yards and two passing touchdowns.
Nix did look banged up by the end of the game, which may be something to look at come this week’s injury report.
