The Las Vegas Raiders got back on track in Week 6 when they defeated the Denver Broncos 34-24. When we got into this matchup, we weren’t sure which Raiders team we were going to get. That team, of course, weathered a storm unrelated to football when former head coach Jon Gruden resigned from his post on Monday after emails from him leaked in insensitive and inappropriate language. The Raiders would either use this moment to get together or they would drift apart. We saw her on Sunday.
The Raiders fought their way to a 17-7 lead at halftime and didn’t look back. Derek Carr made 18 of 27 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns, Kenyan Drake hit twice and then Henry Ruggs III had a big day with 97 yards and a touchdown on three catches. However, it was defense that won this game.
Teddy Bridgewater left a lot to be desired on Sunday, although his offensive line didn’t help him much. He completed 35 of 49 passes for 334 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. He also lost a fumble. The boxing score on Denver’s side doesn’t look bad as they had two receivers in Noah Fant and Courtland Sutton who played over 90 yards, but that game felt out of their control for most of the afternoon.
Don’t look now, but the Raiders are tied to the head of AFC West. So what exactly happened in Denver in Week 6? Let’s take a deeper look.
Why the raiders won
It would be correct to say this was a good team win, but the defense made sure the Raiders emerged victorious. They really started off with eight quarterbacks hits and firing Bridgewater three times in the first half. The defense ended with five sacks and also forced four ball losses. The Vegas D limited Denver’s chunk plays, relying on its physicality in all four quarters. It was impressive how that unity didn’t wane, even with a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. While they weren’t perfect this season, it was one lesson in six games: Gus Bradley moved that defense in the right direction.
Why the Broncos lost
Nothing went right for the Broncos on Sunday – on both sides of the ball. Bridgewater overturned his receivers, the offensive couldn’t block and the defensive couldn’t stop Carr and Co. We don’t have time to play through all of the bad, but let’s just go back to a moment in the first half.
Three points less than two minutes before half-time, the Broncos had a chance to take the lead or tie. Instead, Fant was called to hold and Courtland Sutton was called for offensive pass interference and the Broncos had to poke after five games, giving the Raiders possession with one minute remaining. Vegas then marched down the field – 82 yards in five games with no problems – and extended the lead to 10 points with Drake’s first touchdown. That was a big swing just before halftime.
The Broncos scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, but the game always felt out of reach. Even though they were about to make a comeback, head coach Vic Fangio lost two challenges in the second half – which cost two time outs. Have we overestimated the Broncos after their easy start to the season? Are they also the worst team in AFC West?
Turning point
The Broncos went three and out on their first drive of the second half, while the Raiders went four and in. Drake recorded his second touchdown of the game to increase the lead to 17 points. It became clear that the second half would look similar to the first.
Game of the game
There has been a lot of hype about Bryan Edwards sophomore coming into this season, and while he’s still not a must-have in fantasy leagues, he’s made some big games for the Raiders. He made another Sunday when he dropped a one-handed catch that went 51 yards in 3rd and 5th places.
Quotable
What’s next
The Raiders return home next week and will welcome Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Broncos, on the other hand, have a short week and will travel to Cleveland that Thursday evening to face the Browns.
