4 Takeaways From the Broncos' Win Over the Raiders

This was a classic Thursday night game in the NFL, which means it wasn't pretty.

The Broncos won 10-7 over the Raiders in what is the lowest-scoring game of the season so far. Bo Nix only threw for 150 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, while Geno Smith only threw for 143 yards.

Here are my takeaways:

You want to chalk this up to Denver having one of the league’s best defenses, shutting Las Vegas down for the final three quarters to win its seventh game in a row.

But offensively, it was such an underwhelming game for the Broncos that you found yourself asking how they could possibly be 8-2 this season. They beat the Jets by one point, beat the Giants by two and the Titans by eight. Denver has beaten the defending champion Eagles, but it has few solid all-around wins in 2025.

Next week will go a long way to validating their success when the Broncos host the Chiefs, and a win there would go a long way to making them the team to beat in the AFC West. Kansas City has won nine division titles in a row, which is a huge achievement in itself. Denver finishes the season with a tough four-game stretch – home vs. Packers and Jaguars, a Christmas Day showdown at the Chiefs, then a home finale vs. the Chargers.

Remember the excitement surrounding running back Jeanty, how prolific he was in college at Boise State? I know NFL defenders are faster than in the Mountain West, yes, but Jeanty had 24 runs of 20-plus yards last season. More than halfway through his rookie NFL season, he has one, in 143 carries.

Jeanty had that one three-touchdown game in the loss to Chicago, but he’s gone quiet again. He had 19 carries on Thursday night, and only one got more than six yards, and 10 at that. Las Vegas has a bad offense with not