3 Keys to a Broncos Victory & Sweep of Raiders in Week 14

The Denver Broncos played down to the Las Vegas Raiders' level in Week 10. Here's how the Broncos make a second clean sweep of their division rival for the second straight year.

Nov 24, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Fans couldn’t dream up a more enjoyable way to begin the merry month of December with the Denver Broncos on a nine-game winning streak as the team endures back-to-back road games. 

Week 14 sends the 10-2 Broncos to Las Vegas for a divisional matchup against the 2-10 Raiders.

Sean Payton and company are fresh on the heels of a thrilling 27-26 overtime win on Sunday Night Football against the Washington Commanders, while the Raiders suffered a 31-14 bludgeoning courtesy of the 8-4 Los Angeles Chargers. 

Denver retained its two-game lead over the Chargers in the AFC West and currently possesses the No. 2 playoff seed in the AFC behind the 11-2 New England Patriots, who are on bye this week. 

The last time these rivals met in Week 10, the Broncos beat the Raiders 10-7 in a boring Thursday Night Football tilt that featured more combined penalties than total first downs. 

In 2024, Bo Nix and his crew went 2-0 against the Raiders for the first time since 2014. This Sunday, he’ll be tasked with leading the Broncos to a 2025 regular-season sweep against the Raiders, which would give Denver a four-game win streak against its loathed rival and could extend this consecutive win streak to 10 games.

Because Denver can ill afford to lose any momentum amid its conference race to the No. 1 seed, let’s examine three keys to a Broncos victory against the Raiders in Sin City.

Nix Obliged to Master the Clock, Not Always the Comeback

Nov 24, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws the ball against Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane (41) in the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Nix is coming off an impressive 321-yard passing performance, with one touchdown and one interception, against the Commanders in Denver’s thrilling overtime win last week. 

What’s more is that the young signal-caller is showing flashes of exceptional arm strength when falling to the turf, pinpoint precision, improved footwork, and dynamic passing. Nix has posted a 61.6 completion percentage this season with 2,742 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 12 games played.

Let’s not forget that Nix has also earned 14 first downs as a runner, with 229 rushing yards, three touchdowns, and a 4.4 yards-per-carry average.

The second-year quarterback and team captain has led Denver on eight fourth-quarter comebacks (six this season), in addition to nine game-winning drives in his short, 29-game career. Comeback king, cardiac kid, or whatever you want to call him, Broncos Country is just grateful for the winning season that Nix produced, with the postseason just weeks away.

As sweet as the comebacks are, though, it’s pivotal this week in Las Vegas for Nix to ensure that the Broncos continue their time-of-possession dominance. In 12 games played, Denver has won the time of possession in nine of those contests, the same number as its current win streak.

The Broncos lost the time-of-possession battle in both of their losses this season: against the Indianapolis Colts (Week 2) and the Chargers (Week 3). Additionally, the Broncos lost the T.O.P. battle against the Houston Texans in Week 9, but won the game on a walk-off field goal.

Clearly, the correlation between the clock and winning games shows how critical controlling the football is to the team's overall success, not just the offense or the defense. By producing an effective running game with a passing offense that stays in bounds, the Broncos' offense can easily reduce the risk of momentum swings and turnovers and can stick a fork in the Raiders. 

We know they’re done.

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Ransack Raiders' Woeful O- Line

Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) is sacked for a loss against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The last time Raiders' quarterback Geno Smith faced Denver’s defense, he was limping and battered, going 16-of-26 for 143 passing yards and an interception.

Since then, Smith has been sacked 19 times in the last three games alone amid the Raiders' six-game losing skid. The 13th-year veteran was reunited with Pete Carroll for their first year together in Las Vegas, but his interceptions and lost fumbles have led to the disgruntled quarterback’s public frustration.

I’m not a Smith fan, but to say that the Raiders' offensive line has let this unit down would be putting it mildly, with 46 total sacks surrendered in 12 games played. On average, Las Vegas surrenders 3.8 sacks per game, which is the second-worst in the league. 

Meanwhile, the Broncos' defense has furthered its dominance with a league-leading 51 sacks. They have to be foaming at the mouth at the opportunity to pad their impressive stats at Smith's expense.

Broncos' rush linebacker Nik Bonitto's batted pass deflection last week foiled Marcus Mariota’s two-point conversion attempt, winning the game for the Broncos. He has 10.5 sacks to his credit, tied for the sixth-most in the NFL. 

Expect the Broncos' pass rush to release its fury against a rag-tag offensive line that’s delirious from multiple injuries, rotations, and an interim offensive coordinator as the Raiders circle the proverbial drain.

Ride Harvey’s Hot Streak in Vegas 

Nov 30, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey (12) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders in the third quarter of the game at Northwest Stadium. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Broncos' rookie second-round running back RJ Harvey hasn’t skipped a beat since assuming the starting role after J.K. Dobbins suffered a Lisfranc ligament tear one month ago, ironically against the Raiders. 

The 24-year-old, whom fans nicknamed ‘Quadzilla’ back in training camp, due to his tree trunk-sized quadriceps, has embraced Payton’s demanding offense and has scored eight touchdowns in the last nine games.

Last Sunday night, Harvey continued to prove his versatility as both a runner and receiver with 16 total touches for 62 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. In addition to averaging 3.8 yards per carry for 279 yards and four rushing touchdowns, the 5-foot-8, 205-pound playmaker has earned 31 receptions for 222 yards and four receiving touchdowns with 23 total first downs to his name.

Harvey has yet to fumble the football in 105 total touches. He now faces a 16th-ranked Raiders' defense that surrenders 323.3 yards per game. The Raiders also allow 110.8 rushing yards per contest, while the Broncos’ 14th-best ground attack is producing 119.3 yards per game. 

Although the Broncos no longer maintain a top-10 rushing offense like they once did for a third of the season, Harvey continues to prove himself like a FedEx delivery shipment, by air or by ground. 

Payton’s trust and utilization of Harvey have paid major dividends for the Broncos' on-the-rise offense. Here’s to leaning on the newcomer to help make a quick, productive business trip in the desert.