Broncos Survive the Snooze Fest
By Trinity Barnette
If you made it through that Thursday night game without falling asleep—you deserve a medal. The Broncos beat the Raiders 10-7 in what might go down as the ugliest win of the season, but a win’s a win. Denver now sits at 8-2, riding a seven-game win streak and leading the AFC West heading into their mini-bye before the Chiefs matchup next week.
Let’s be real—this game was rough to watch. The offense looked sluggish, penalties piled up, and the energy was just off. Thursday Night games always have that half-awake vibe, and this one was no exception. Bo Nix looked rattled, the receivers dropped balls like hot potatoes, and the play-calling felt experimental in the worst way. Two interceptions, weird trick plays on third and short, and a few head-scratchers that killed promising drives. The 10 points on the board felt like pulling teeth.
But the defense? Unreal again. They’re the reason this team keeps winning. Vance Joseph’s unit is playing lights-out—six sacks, one interception, and they completely shut the Raiders down after that early Ashton Jeanty touchdown. Brock Bowers was basically invisible, held to a single catch, and Denver did it all without Pat Surtain II. Nik Bonitto, Zach Allen, Hufanga—everybody ate. They’ve got that 2015 energy again, winning ugly but locking in when it matters.
The lone bright moment for the offense came from Nix connecting with Troy Franklin for a touchdown right before halftime. After that, nothing. A Wil Lutz field goal off a blocked punt made it 10-7, and that was all she wrote. Daniel Carlson even had a shot to tie it late in the fourth, but missed a 48-yarder that sealed the Raiders’ fate.
It wasn’t pretty, but Denver got it done—again. The formula’s the same every week: defense dominates, offense does just enough, and the W stacks up. It’s not sustainable forever, but for now? The Broncos are back to their 2015 ways—ugly, gritty, and impossible to count out.
