Pinned
Link copied
The Las Vegas Raiders moved above .500 on Sunday as they registered a 17-13 win over the rival Denver Broncos in Sin City. It wasn't the prettiest victory, but it was incredibly important to keep their postseason hopes alive while virtually knocking a division rival out of contention. After going down just before halftime, Derek Carr used a 10-0 run in the second half to secure the victory.
The Raiders came into Sunday with the fourth-worst rushing attack in the league, averaging 85.6 ground yards per game. They relied on Josh Jacobs this week, however, as he rushed 27 times for 129 yards. Peyton Barber was involved as well, as he rushed five times for 22 yards and a touchdown.
Drew Lock got the start this week with Teddy Bridgewater sidelined due to injury, and Lock had his fair share of ups and downs. He completed 15 of 22 passes for 153 yards. The Mizzou product watched his intended receivers drop several passes and then the run game offered no help either, as Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams combined for eight yards and one touchdown on 14 carries.
Let's take a look at why the Raiders were were victorious on Sunday.
Why the Raiders won
The Raiders turned the ball over three times compared to the Broncos' zero turnovers, but the ground game evened the playing field and allowed Vegas to establish tempo. The Raiders had 22 first downs compared to the Broncos' eight!
The Raiders are certainly not known for their ground game, but it's how Greg Olson elected to move the ball on Sunday. Vegas threw the ball 25 times but ran Jacobs and Barber a combined 32 times. Jacobs rushed for 129 yards, which tied a career high. It also marked the first 100-yard outing this season and his first since Nov. 15, 2020 against -- you guessed it -- the Broncos. It was good to see the former No. 24 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft get going, as he's averaging a career-low 45.7 rushing yards per game.
Why the Broncos lost
The Broncos' defense didn't play incredibly well but forced a few turnovers and stepped up on occasion. Lock missed a couple of throws, but also had several would-be big plays dropped. Having an effective ground game would have been helpful.
When Broncos head coach Vic Fangio announced that Lock would be starting in place of Bridgewater, many envisioned a game script which relied heavily on Gordon and Williams -- both on the ground and through the air. Instead, Williams rushed seven times for 12 yards and a touchdown while catching two passes for 8 yards, and Gordon rushed seven times for -4 yards and caught one pass for 4 yards. That's 17 touches for 20 total yards. Denver's running backs were bottled up all game long, and it hurt the offense. If it wasn't for Bradley Chubb making an athletic interception in the second quarter, I don't know if the Broncos would have registered a touchdown on Sunday.
Turning point
With just a few minutes left and down four points, the Broncos were attempting to register a game-winning drive. Lock had just converted a huge fourth-down pass to Courtland Sutton and Denver was about to cross midfield. On second-and-10 from the 50-yard line, tight end Albert Okwuegbunam failed to reel in a pass that would have gotten the Broncos inside the red zone with a fresh set of downs.
Whether he dropped it or Desmond Trufant did enough to break up the pass, this felt like the turning point. Lock was sacked on the ensuing third down and Denver was forced to punt on fourth-and-16.
Play of the game
Chubb is an athletic pass-rusher who can do many things. One of those things is reading a screen pass perfectly, tipping the high pass to yourself, picking it off and then returning it 21 yards. This play set up the Broncos to take the lead right before halftime.
What's next
The Broncos will stay on the road next week, as they travel to L.A. to take on the Chargers. They then host the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 9 to wrap up the regular season. As for the Raiders, they hit the road to take on the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday, and then host Justin Herbert and the Chargers in Week 18.
