A few minutes before kickoff, the Denver Broncos raced down the field and took a dump at the 5-yard line. It was not disgusting. It was foreshadowing.
It’s not easy for the Broncos to underwhelm us anymore, but say this about them: those procrastinators find a way. Man, are they good at grinding our teeth and putting us to sleep.
The Broncos had nothing to gain — they were supposed to clobber the Raiders — other than to change the national narrative that they are a fraud contender. Well, let’s just say the Chiefs, Bills, Colts, and Patriots did not develop nervous ticks watching this offense.
With their 10th consecutive home victory, the Broncos found a way to make the Jets game look like it belonged in the Louvre. Has there ever been a less impressive 8-2 team? Just don’t try to convince Sean Payton. He sees the record, not the critiques.
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### Broncos Grind Out Ugly Win vs. Raiders for Seventh Straight Victory
“We are never comfortable as coaches. But there are no buts. If my answer to you were that I am comfortable, that would be silly,” Payton said. “Obviously, we have to clean up some of the penalties and the execution. Right now, we are 8-2 and the only team sitting there. It was a tough night offensively. I give them credit.”
The first 45 minutes included eight three-and-outs and seven punts, three third-quarter drives that penetrated inside the 36-yard line but resulted in just three points, the best run after catch by edge rusher Dondrea Tillman, and Bo Nix winning a third game with a completion percentage of 57% or less.
Nothing about the 10-7 clunker was memorable, other than the Orange Rush defense that Vance Joseph dials up every week to cover for a battery of penalties, fruitless drives, and special teams gaffes.
The Broncos are not just a division leader—they are a statistical anomaly. Denver ranks first with a 60-point differential in the fourth quarter. The breathtaking comebacks and miracle finishes have provided a soothing balm on performances that have gone from hard to understand to concerning. The later a game goes, the better the Broncos get. But Thursday did not even offer that.
The Broncos marched 48 yards on 10 plays after the Raiders’ Daniel Carlson missed a 48-yard field goal, with a pair of Nix kneel-downs turning out the lights. The best thing that can be said about this game is that it is over. It was not impressive. It was a sigh of relief.
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### Division Lead and the Road Ahead
The Broncos lead the division, sitting 2.5 games ahead of the Chiefs entering next Sunday’s cage match. It is going to take winning that game to take the Broncos seriously. They are 2-2 in their last four against the Chiefs and would remain on a straightaway to claim their first division title since 2015.
Is it impossible? No. The Chiefs are the Chiefs in name only. But this Broncos team cannot be trusted until the offense awakens and becomes consistent.
They finished Thursday with 10 first downs and 220 yards. Yes, it was a short week, Marvin Mims Jr. (concussion) was sidelined, it was windy, and one fan was yelling the same thing on everyone’s mind: “What is going on?”
Nix completed 16 of 28 passes for 150 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He misfired on multiple passes, his mechanics remaining inconsistent. His fourth-quarter sprinkles of glitter nearly expired when he threw an interception to Kyu Bly Kelly with 7:16 remaining. The ball ricocheted off Troy Franklin but appeared intended for Pat Bryant—and he just missed badly.
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### What Does This Struggle Mean?
Two things: The Broncos cannot beat the Chiefs with Nix playing like this, and it is hard to be this bad offensively and have a record this good. When it matters, the defense smothers. Get into field-goal range? Get smashed. Get close to a first down? Get crushed.
The Broncos did not allow a first down on seven straight drives. It was set up for them to pull away, but they could not get out of their own way.
Payton lamented the offensive penalties. Three drives in the third quarter were revealing. They had third-and-1 from the 36-yard line with J.K. Dobbins percolating. Instead of running, Nix fired to Courtland Sutton for a throwback trick play. Sutton wisely took the sack rather than try to force the ball downfield, and Crawshaw punted.
Then the defense provided a gift. Tillman, a reserve edge rusher, delivered his second interception of the season, snatching a ball that bounced off running back Ashton Jeanty’s chest. His yards after catch suggest he is miscast—perhaps better served as a tight end.
The Broncos took over and netted minus-6 yards before Wil Lutz missed a 59-yard field goal that barely made the end zone. Clearly, the offense needed more help.
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### Special Teams Turnaround
Embattled special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi can now put the mirrors back in his home. J.L. Skinner burst through and blocked a punt—technically, he head-butted it—and the ball was recovered at the 12-yard line.
At least the Broncos could not punt from there. They lost 2 yards on three plays and settled for a Lutz 32-yard field goal, opening their first lead at 10-7 with five seconds remaining in the third.
Payton prides himself on the Bill Parcells mantra that there is a way to win every game. This one required swarming, attacking defenders. Everything about this group should be applauded.
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### Lingering Doubts
But suspicions linger about this team. The Broncos have trailed at some point in every game this season and have eight wins, according to Sharp Football. The other five teams that have done so have combined for nine wins.
Nothing about this seems sustainable.
So, bring on the Chiefs. Figure out how to conquer them. Then the Broncos will no longer have to explain themselves.
https://www.denverpost.com/2025/11/06/broncos-raiders-ugly-win-bo-nix-tnf/