With their playoff hopes long expired, the Las Vegas Raiders can still play the role of spoiler this Sunday against a Denver Broncos team that is in pursuit of its 10th straight win.
Denver (10-2) is just a half-game behind the Patriots for the top spot in the AFC standings. Last Sunday night, the Broncos captured their ninth straight win after recording a 27-26 win over the Commanders in overtime. Denver received another gritty performance from quarterback Bo Nix, who threw for 321 yards that included a touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton.
One of five teams that have already been eliminated from playoff contention, the Raiders have dropped six straight games with the last three being in double-digit fashion. Last Sunday, Las Vegas was on the wrong side of a 31-14 score after it allowed the Chargers to rumble for 192 yards on 43 carries.
Here’s how you can follow the action on Sunday along with our breakdown and prediction of this AFC West showdown.
Where to watch Broncos vs. Raiders live
Broncos vs. Raiders: Need to know
- Week 10 rematch. It was a defensive duel the last time these two teams met a month ago. The score was tied at 7 for the majority of the second half before Broncos kicker Wil Lutz drilled a game-winning, 32-yard field goal with five seconds left. Denver’s 10 points that day is its lowest scoring output of the season. A big reason for the Raiders’ defensive success that day was their ability to rattle Nix, who went 16 of 28 passing with 150 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
- Going streaking. Denver’s nine-game winning streak is the franchise’s longest since Peyton Manning led the 2012 team to 11 straight wins. The Broncos’ single-season record for consecutive wins is held by the 1998 team that started 13-0. That team finished the regular season with a 14-2 record before successfully defending its Super Bowl title.
- Orange crush. Denver’s defense has been northing short of dominant this season. Led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II and pass rusher Nik Bonitto, the unit is currently tops in the league in both third down and red zone efficiency.
- Weakness exploited? While they came up short, the Commanders may have found the Broncos’ Achilles heel on defense. Washington quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for nearly 300 yards by making quick throws that negated Denver’s formidable pass rush. He also found soft spots in Denver’s defense that led to him running for 55 yards on 10 carries.
- Poor Geno. It’s been a rough season for the Raiders’ offense and specifically quarterback Geno Smith, whose 14 interceptions leads the NFL. Sunday will be Joe Philbin’s second game as interim offensive coordinator after Chip Kelly was fired following the Raiders’ 2-9 start.
Broncos vs. Raiders prediction, pick
Honestly, I’m surprised the Broncos aren’t favored by more points. There’s nothing that would suggest that this game will be close, except for the fact that this is the NFL, and crazier things have happened. It’s also a rivalry game between two teams that frankly don’t like each other. While all of that is true, I just don’t see an upset happening, now with the glaring talent disparity between the two teams. Pick: Broncos -7.5, Under 40.5
