What the Raiders Must Look Out for Against the Broncos

The Las Vegas Raiders will be facing the Denver Broncos in Week 14. What are some of the things they have to look out for against one of the best defenses in the NFL?

Nov 30, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) makes a touchdown catch against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders are 2 - 10 and are coming off a woeful loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. They haven't won a single divisional game this season, and the only time it's been close was against their opponent next week.

They lost to the Denver Broncos by a score of 10 - 7 in Week 10, and they'll be facing them again four weeks later. This time, they'll be at home, with an opportunity to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the NFL in 2025. What are some things they have to keep in mind as they prepare for their rematch with the Broncos?

Key Insights

Nov 30, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) practices before the game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Pro Football Focus released an article going over key insights for each team playing in Week 14. For the Raiders game against the Broncos, their findings paint a troubling picture for the Raiders' hopes of keeping this game within reach.

"While Bo Nix leads the league with 56 deep pass attempts this season, he kept his throws much shorter against the Commanders, posting a season-low 5.0 average depth of target. The approach paid off, as Nix completed 23 of 30 passes for 221 yards on throws of five yards or less, the most passing yards by any quarterback in a game on such throws this season. The Raiders have allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards on throws of five yards or less (894)".

Nov 30, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) warms up prior to the game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Bo Nix had his worst game of the season against the Raiders' defense, and a large part of that was taking away those easy completions. The Broncos offense doesn't rely on big plays to move them downfield; they're more focused on methodical drives that result in points.

If the Raiders can take away Courtland Sutton's impact on short and intermediate routes, they can force Nix to have to throw the ball deep to other receivers who can't reach up and get the ball with as much ease as Sutton. The Raiders' path to an upset victory starts with making the Broncos offense work a little bit harder and letting them create their own mistakes and fail to execute all on their own.

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders guard Caleb Rogers (76) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"Geno Smith has taken 25 sacks over the past four weeks, 12 more than any other quarterback. No single culprit stands out in protection, as seven different Raiders have surrendered multiple sacks during that span, including all of their starting offensive linemen. They now face a Broncos defense that sacked Smith six times in Week 10 and is averaging 5.1 sacks per game, a pace that would be the highest in the PFF era if sustained through the end of the season".

Caleb Rogers made his NFL debut in their Week 13 loss to the Chargers, and he showed flashes of excellent footwork and power on their offensive line. If he gets an increased role against the Broncos, he can help prevent them from getting to Smith as easily. Geno Smith has to get better and sensing when there's pressure he can avoid, and pressure where his only option is to throw the ball away.

Nov 30, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA;Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) drops back to pass against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

In order for the Raiders to pull off the improbable, they're going to have to have their most complete performance of the season so far. They can't have their offense or defense go on a hot streak by itself; they need to play off of each other successfully and keep each other off the field for large stretches of time.

It also starts with accountability, and that begins with Pete Carroll. He has to acknowledge that he has put this team in a position to fail, and the only way to get them out of this slump is with massive changes. Their defense has shown they can shut down Nix and the Broncos' offense, but it's a matter of their own offense putting it all together.

Nov 30, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) reacts before the game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

If Ashton Jeanty continues to struggle with rushing the football, perhaps it's time they make him more of a receiving back. He finds the most success there, and all it takes is one big play for them to blow the lid off this divisional match-up.

If it's Smith who can't throw the ball without creating turnovers, bench him for Kenny Pickett or Aidan O'Connell. This game will determine how likely the Raiders are to fire Carroll this offseason, and if he doesn't make any adjustments to their game plan, it'll happen sooner rather than later.

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