Early on, the Las Vegas Raiders looked like they were going to keep their perfect record over the rival Broncos alive and well. The drove for a touchdown on three plays to open the game, then drove for a field goal on their second drive, and had moved to the five-yard-line, looking to go up big. And that’s where it all fell apart.
In first and goal, Gardner Minshew rolled left and had two receivers in the same area. His pass was so bad, it wasn’t clear which of them he was throwing it to. It was too high for an open Brock Bowers, so high he watched it to see where it was actually going. Where it went was into the waiting arms of Patrick Surtain, who picked it off and returned it 100 yards for the score.
So, instead of the Raiders going up 17-3, it was flipped and the Broncos tied it at 10-10.
It stayed knotted up for much of the second quarter. But with under a minute left, the Raiders punted it away out of the shadow of their own endzone. Bo Nix completed a 19-yard pass to Troy Franklin to put them close to field goal range.
The Broncos lined up for a 59-yard field goal and it was missed wide left. But there was a flag. Janarius Robinson was flagged for leverage and the ensuing 44-yard attempt was true to give the Broncos a 13-10 lead at the half.
A big punt return in the third quarter put the Broncos at midfield. Then a short pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey went for 27 yards with the Raiders missing several tackles along the way to put the Broncos in first and goal at the three. They scored three plays later to go up 20-10.
The Raiders answer was another interception by Gardner Minshew on an underthrown pass for Tre Tucker up the right sideline.
It was nearly a three score lead for the Broncos because Troy Franklin broke wide open in the end zone, but dropped the deep pass.
The turnover precipitated a change at QB for the Raiders. When the Raiders were back on offense, it was Aidan O’Connell in at QB. He couldn’t find a receiver and the Raiders went three-and-out, giving the Broncos another shot.
They made most of their shot and drove for another touchdown, gashing the Raiders defense play after play. Ultimately it was a Bo Nix keeper, reaching over the line from inches away for the touchdown and a 27-10 lead with just over ten minutes remaining.
Next pass for O’Connell went off the hands of Brock Bowers and was intercepted. The Broncos take the short field and drive for another touchdown to take a 34-10 lead.
The Broncos hadn’t score more than 26 points in a game this season coming in. Even without the pick six, they outscored that. And their 34 straight points, was the most they had scored unanswered in ten years.
Bo Nix has just on touchdown pass on the season coming in. He threw two in this game and ran for a third.
The win for the Broncos was their first ever over the Las Vegas Raiders Coming into the game, Las Vegas was 8-0 over the Broncos. That streak is now over.
The Raiders fall to 2-3 on the season. The Broncos improve to 3-2.