Denver defense bails out Broncos 10-7 after turnaround Las Vegas Raiders sacked Geno Smith six times Thursday night to atone for uneven play on offense and special teams.
The Broncos (8-2) have the best record in the league, but they didn't look that way on a windy night in the Rockies.
They barely beat the Raiders (2-7), who had just traded top receiver Jakobi Meyers, to win their seventh straight overall and extend their NFL-best home winning streak to 10.
Wil Lutz's 32-yard field goal with five seconds left in the third quarter broke a 7-7 tie and followed J.L. Skinner's block on A.J. Cole's punt, setting up a difficult Denver offense at the Las Vegas 12.
The Broncos were down two yards on three plays, and Lutz, who was short of 59 yards early in the third quarter, fought through the wind to give Denver its first lead.
An interception by Q cornerback Blue Kelly in the final minutes brought the Raiders to Denver's 45-yard line, but Daniel Carlson was wide on a 48-yard field goal attempt with 4:26 remaining that would have tied the game.
Finally, the Broncos chewed up the rest of the clock with a methodical attack and eventually knelt in victory formation at the Raiders' 20-yard line after Las Vegas timeouts ran out.
The game was a typical Thursday night flag-fest, with neither team able to get into an offensive rhythm and a steady stream of players, including Smith, retreating to the touchline and into the blue tent to check on injuries.
The Broncos' trend of slow starts continued as they managed just six yards on six snaps in the first quarter and fell behind 7-0 after allowing a four-yard touchdown run to Ashton Ginty.
The Broncos finally got a first down on their fifth possession when J.C. Dobbins rushed for 13 yards on first down. Four plays later, Bo Nix found Troy Franklin for an 11-yard touchdown to tie the game 7–7.
Denver had 116 yards in the first half, two more than Las Vegas. Denver's defense tallied five sacks in the first half. The Broncos currently have 46 players on their roster this season. That's the best 10-game showing for any team since at least 1990.
The Broncos again made several mistakes on special teams, and rookie Jeremy Crawshaw made three punts in the first half that went for 30, 36 and 38 yards. Skinner compensated by blocking Cole's punt with his facemask.
