What a breath of fresh air, this game was to watch as a fan of the Denver Broncos. All three phases of the game played well. As the game wore on, it seemed more and more like we were just passing time
until the clock was all zeros. The cherry on top was that we swept the Raiders (may they continue swirling down the toilet of the NFL’s most hapless franchises).
The Broncos have some very meaningful games coming up, and it was good to see them handle business as one would expect, without needing a come-from-behind drive to get the win or a last-minute amazing play from the defense.
Offense
I loved seeing our offense execute so well this time around, compared to the defensive slugfest we got earlier this season against the Raiders. This time around, the offense had a plan on how to deal with Pete Carroll’s defense.
We also got to see what our run game can do when blocked properly. Giving the team some much-needed reps to the tune of 31 runs is going to pay dividends as the season winds down.
While we didn’t see the aerial assault that tickles most fans’ fancies, that was to be expected. Carroll, in typical fashion for his defenses, forced the Broncos to take the long path to successful offensive drives and minimized chunk plays by and large. So we got to see this offense rattle off 3 drives of over 9 minutes of offense that ended with points on the board.
Quarterbacks
I really liked what I saw from Bo Nix in this game. He played disciplined football and kept the ball out of harm’s way. This team didn’t need him to throw for 3 touchdowns in order to beat the Raiders. They needed him to keep the chains moving and use his legs at times to make plays.
His touchdown run was successful largely due to phenomenal execution on his part. It was clearly a designed run the whole way, but he looked Franklin’s way to get the spy linebacker to back away from where his running lane was going to be. With Wattenburg already up ahead and ready to block, it was fairly smooth sailing to the end zone for him.
There are many talking heads out there still picking nits about Nix not being flashy enough. This game isn’t going to shut them up. I can tell you the level of skill he had in this game isn’t going to be seen in touchdown passes or passing stats. He looked very well prepared for what the Raiders were going to bring to the table and constantly got the Broncos into the right play pre- and post-snap. He is seeing the game at a level a couple of years advanced of most 2nd-year quarterbacks in the NFL (and he should, given his college career).
Line
Worth mentioning is what a good job Luke Wattenburg is doing. Earlier in the season, I was noticing many plays that looked screwy because of poor play on his part, but he’s really shored up his play in the middle of the field. I’ll likely be scratching center off my list of needs for the offseason when we get that far, but I digress.
The line overall absolutely owned in this game. The team averaged ~5 yards per carry collectively. Each player was able to execute runs successfully, with many of them having huge gaps available to run through and get to the second level without being touched.
Running Backs
Adam Prentice got some really great opportunities in this game to be another weapon for this offense and show that he’s a threat to move the chains. He churned out an 18-yard run on 3rd and 1. It was entertaining to see his run, where as a fan you are waiting for that next gear to hit, but he was already going top speed. My guy, Payton is willing to use you, so maybe this offseason, drill some balance a bit so you can get that stiff arm and house the rock next time.
R.J. Harvey is really getting into a groove from the looks of things. He had an impressive show of balance to stay on his feet off a square hit in the flat to convert 3rd and 2. He shot up the field for a 15-yard run right up the middle through a gap a truck could have been driven through. In the 3rd quarter, he got skinny behind McGlinchey to sneak into the end zone with solid blocking from Meinerz and Lewis. The big thing I saw from him this game was more plays where he’s starting to see the lanes coming open sooner. The game seems to be finally slowing down for him, which hopefully leads to more sound production as the season wears on.
Jaleel McLaughlin carried the rock 4 times for 22 yards with no drop off. He had a nice play-action reception in the flat to move the chains as well for 9 yards.
Receivers
Courtland Sutton got back to leading the team with targets as it should be. It was good to see him fight through a hold to make the catch and move the chains. He had a great catch on an out route on 3rd down that was thrown at his feet and somehow dug it out to keep the drive moving.
Troy Franklin has been getting fewer snaps, and it is directly related to his high level of inconsistent play. He dropped an easy catch to the sideline that hit him directly in the hands. He then bobbles an easy crosser on 4th and 3 to turn the ball over on downs. This team needs his route running and speed, but it is hard to give him targets when it is a coin toss as to whether or not he’ll actually catch the ball.
Pat Bryant, on the other hand, continues to impress, catching tough passes in traffic and holding on through big tackles. He was targeted 4 times and caught every one of them. He bounced back well after last week’s drops.
How cool was it to see Lil’Jordan Humphreys get 3 catches on the day? Dude just got back to the team a couple of weeks ago and is already finding ways to help this offense in his role as a depth receiver. He’s a great blocker at wide receiver. Any production in catches is honestly much-needed icing on the cake for this offense.
Defense
The only concern I have with this defense is seeing how teams are starting to work quick throws into their game plans and consistently get some production in spots. Kansas City really started this trend a few weeks ago. But every team we face now is seeing how well that worked and utilizing it to get some production on this offense.
I’m curious to see how Vance Joseph tweaks the defense to cover up some of those blemishes. If teams lean on the quick throw game too heavily, eventually you should be able to make them pay by jumping the route.
Outside of that, I can’t find much fault with the defense this week. Yes, they let some late scoring happen, but it didn’t really mean much, as both scoring drives came so late in the game that it didn’t really matter other than giving the defense some learning opportunities.
Front 7
Nik Bonitto dialed up 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, and 2 quarterback hits on the day. He’s a dangerous player who was a big part of making this Las Vegas team look as bad as they are for most of the game.
Malcolm Roach is on the field for the defense around 50% of the time, typically. He sure makes the most of those opportunities. He showed wrecking ball power to get a sack up the middle, had a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hit on the day.
Jonathan Franklin-Meyers had a similar impact with 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 quarterback hit on one fewer snap than Roach. This rotation of interior linemen are difference-makers for the pass rush.
Secondary
Patrick Surtain, II, swats a pass down deep at the end of the half that honestly never should have been thrown. He had a lot of interesting plays in this game, getting matched with Bowers a good bit and being used as a chess piece per usual in Joseph’s defense. It has been interesting to see quarterbacks the past couple of weeks challenging him. I guess they think he’s still not 100% recovered from his injury, but my eyes tell me he’s looking pretty darn close to it.
Talanoa Hufanga looked oddly slow to react and flat-footed for much of this game. Where he’s usually snappy to the ball, he seemed to often be a second behind on many plays that got completed on him.
Special Teams
I don’t exactly understand how Mims houses the return by miraculously getting out of trouble with 3 defenders around him. He squirted out the side after shaking a tackler that was on top of him at one point and turned the jets on for the score. He’s got special speed and ability. I’ve been pounding the table to see more plays drawn up for him on offense because of the ability he has to get yards in the open field.
Final Thoughts
I’m not going to lie, though, this game had me somewhat concerned. Not because the Raiders are any good (they aren’t…I’d feel bad for Maxx Crosby, but that tool shed actually wants to be a part of that pathetic franchise). No, I was concerned because of what this game meant to the tie-breaking scenarios the Broncos may run into with the New England Patriots as the season winds down. With this victory, the Broncos get the tie-breaker with the Patriots due to the Patriots having lost to the Raiders in week 1.
I love to hear the players get asked questions about the playoffs and hear them respond with whatever version of “our focus is on Green Bay.” The culture of this team is aligned correctly and focused on the job at hand.
That works really well when a lot of the media coverage still questions whether the Broncos are for real. Even after this team has beaten both of last year’s Super Bowl teams and the media darling Houston Texans.
None of that matters in the playoffs, though, and I’m dead serious. We are riding high on a huge win streak as fans, but win streaks don’t matter in the postseason.
Until this team makes some noise in the playoffs, they don’t deserve the credit. They have to go earn it, which is exactly the way it is supposed to be. I’m pretty sure Payton’s coaching staff has already made this same point to them. I’m excited to see what they can do against Green Bay next week, as it is going to paint us an excellent picture of where this team stands as the postseason gets closer and closer.
There’s a lot of football left to be played this season. The Broncos have earned the position they are in today: #1 in the AFC. If the Broncos can just keep taking things one game at a time and handling business, they have the capability to secure the #1 seed in the playoffs. They control their own destiny and that’s all we could ever ask for as a fan base at this point in the season.
