For the first time this season, the Denver Broncos didn’t need a rally. They controlled Sunday’s game from the opening kick, never trailing in a commanding 24-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium that kept them on a path toward the AFC’s top seed.
Denver’s defense smothered the Raiders (2-11), holding them to 229 total yards and sacking quarterbacks Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett four times. Smith exited before the fourth quarter with a right shoulder injury after suffering a hand injury earlier in the game. And in a matchup of rookie running backs, the Broncos’ R.J. Harvey outpaced Las Vegas first-rounder Ashton Jeanty.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was sharp again, completing 31 of 38 passes for 212 yards and adding a rushing touchdown. But the game’s defining moment came on special teams, when Marvin Mims Jr. broke loose for a 48-yard punt return score to put Denver (11-2) ahead 14-7 in the second quarter.
After the teams’ last meeting, the Raiders fired special teams coordinator Tom McMahon following a poor performance by his unit in Denver. Despite the coaching change, the Broncos’ special teams still dominated and helped move their squad to 11-2, maintaining their standing atop the AFC alongside the New England Patriots.
Path to the No. 1 seed crystallizes for Broncos
A 10th straight victory for the Broncos did not clinch a playoff spot. Denver will have to wait at least another week to do that. By beating the Raiders, though, the Broncos did secure something important: the tiebreaker advantage over the Patriots in the race for the No. 1 seed.
Both teams are 11-2 and have four regular-season games remaining. In the event the two teams finish tied for the best record in the AFC, Denver can do no worse than match New England in the first relevant tiebreaker, which is conference record. The next tiebreaker would be winning percentage against common opponents.
The Broncos finished 6-0 against teams both they and the Patriots played this year. The best the Patriots can finish in those games is 5-1, with a Week 1 loss to the Raiders looming large for them.
The Broncos’ final four games are home contests against the Packers and Jaguars, a road matchup on Christmas against the Chiefs and a home game against the Chargers in Week 18. The Patriots host the Bills, play at the Ravens and Jets, then close at home against the Dolphins.
The Bills and Jaguars are 9-4 and can still factor into the race for the No. 1 seed, but The Athletic’s playoff simulator gives both of those teams no better than a 4 percent chance of earning the first-round bye. This figures to be a race between the Broncos and the Patriots, and Sunday’s victory could prove pivotal for Denver in that pursuit. — Nick Kosmider, Broncos beat reporter
Mims’ electric return swings game for Denver
Mims has had so many explosive punt returns since joining the Broncos as a second-round pick in 2023 that it is almost puzzling that he hadn’t returned a punt for a touchdown before Sunday. Entering Week 14, Mims had at least one 50-plus-yard punt return in each of his first three seasons, including a 70-yard return in a narrow win against the Kansas City Chiefs last month. He has already been named to two Pro Bowl teams as a returner.
Finally, Mims has a punt return touchdown on his resumé — an electric, 48-yard highlight that swung the game for the Broncos in the second quarter. After catching a line-drive punt by A.J. Cole, Mims began working toward the middle of the field. As the Raiders crashed inside, Mims spotted open grass to his left.
He ducked under a tackle attempt from Decamerion Richardson, escaped another Raiders defender and found himself alone down the left sideline. He directed teammates JL Skinner and P.J. Locke to lay a block on Cole, the last line of defense for Las Vegas, then darted past that wreckage and into the end zone. Mims capped the play with a Mile High salute toward an end zone crowd filled with Broncos fans.
The return was a microcosm of Denver’s improved special teams operation over the last month. Back in Week 10 against the Raiders, Skinner blocked a punt that set up the Broncos’ game-winning field goal. — Kosmider
Encouraging outing for RJ Harvey
The Broncos were always going to depend on Harvey to be an impactful piece of their offense this season. When veteran J.K. Dobbins suffered a foot injury after Week 10, the spotlight on Harvey only intensified.
In his best all-around game as a pro Sunday, Harvey looked like a player who is growing more comfortable with a growing and expansive workload. He broke a tackle to convert Denver’s first third-down attempt on an opening drive that ended in a touchdown.
Harvey later ran for his third touchdown in as many weeks, giving him nine total scores this season. He consistently gained yards between the tackles, made quick cuts when he bounced runs outside and handled his responsibilities in pass protection.
It was an encouraging sign for the young player, whose contributions down the stretch will be key as Denver looks to establish a consistent rushing attack for the playoffs. — Kosmider
Raiders’ offensive line issues keep getting worse
If the Raiders needed more evidence that their rebuild must start with more talent up front, it arrived with seven seconds left in the first half. Las Vegas trailed 14-7 and faced a fourth-and-3 at its own 48-yard line. Facing a Hail Mary-protecting defense that only rushed three, Pete Carroll reasoned that Smith would be able to stand in the pocket long enough to deliver a moonbeam toward the end zone that would exhaust the clock.
Instead, Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto burned past left tackle Stone Forsythe before help could arrive and dropped Smith with 3 seconds still left on the clock. It was the third sack of the first half for the Broncos and another illustration of how untenable things will be for Las Vegas if it doesn’t build a better wall around whoever is up next at quarterback.
Pickett replaced Smith in the fourth quarter after the veteran suffered a shoulder injury. Smith has been brought down 49 times in 13 games this season, tied for the most in the league with Titans rookie Cam Ward.
These weren’t exactly new data points for the Raiders on Sunday. Injuries haven’t helped things, but they don’t explain all the reasons an offensive line that was supposed to take a step forward this season has instead been one of the worst in the NFL. It represents a clear priority for general manager John Spytek as he and the Raiders begin putting their offseason puzzle together. — Kosmider
