The Denver Broncos moved closer to securing a playoff spot with a 24-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday. The win marked Denver’s fourth straight triumph over their division rival and completed a season sweep of the Raiders.
The Broncos maintained control throughout the game, never trailing after taking an early lead. They scored on their opening drive and limited the Raiders’ offense following Las Vegas’ initial touchdown. After allowing points on the Raiders’ first possession, Denver held them to just eight total yards over the next four drives.
A key moment came in the second quarter when Marvin Mims Jr. returned a punt for his first career punt-return touchdown. Mims broke free from a group of defenders and ran down the sideline, giving Denver a lead it would not relinquish. “After he broke free from the scrum, there was no one to stop Mims from scoring the first punt-return touchdown of his career. Mims raced down the sideline and fired off a Mile High Salute to cap the go-ahead touchdown.” With this play, Mims became the first Broncos player since Diontae Spencer in 2020 to score on a punt return.
Denver’s running game played a significant role in their win, as they rushed for 152 yards—their highest total since Week 8 against Houston. The Broncos managed lengthy scoring drives of 8:54 and 9:13 minutes, along with another that lasted more than ten minutes, which helped them dominate time of possession. In contrast, Las Vegas finished with only 40 rushing yards.
Rookie running back RJ Harvey contributed 100 scrimmage yards and scored his ninth touchdown of the season, leading all NFL rookies in scrimmage touchdowns this year.
Quarterback Bo Nix made franchise history by becoming the first Broncos quarterback to score four rushing touchdowns in back-to-back seasons. His eight career rushing touchdowns now rank third among quarterbacks in team history.
On defense, Nik Bonitto, John Franklin-Myers, and Malcolm Roach each recorded sacks on Raiders quarterback Smith. Bonitto also sacked backup quarterback Kenny Pickett late in the game for his third multi-sack performance this season.
With this win, Denver extended its road winning streak to five games and has now won ten consecutive games overall, placing them at the top of the AFC playoff standings.
