The Denver Broncos pulled out an ugly 10-7 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on November 7. Nonetheless, the Broncos’ defense made life challenging for the Silver and Black throughout the game.
Raiders quarterback Geno Smith was sacked six times by the Denver defense, which greatly disrupted Las Vegas’s offensive rhythm. As a result, the Raiders’ offense struggled to generate much outside of a touchdown run by Ashton Jeanty in the first quarter. Despite that early score, the Las Vegas offense was limited to just 188 total yards. The Broncos’ defensive unit’s strong performance ultimately gave their offense the opportunity to secure the victory.
After the game, Broncos head coach Sean Payton was honest about what he saw from his team, even though the victory was far from pretty.
“Obviously, a hard-fought win, a lot of stuff for us to cover,” Payton told reporters (h/t Zac Stevens of DNVR). “And yet, I’m real proud of the fight. Give Vegas credit—they came in here, had a real good plan, did some things that were challenging. We got blocked upon in the kicking game. Our defense was fantastic. Too many penalties on offense put us in a hole. Got to be better also, but good win.”
### Raiders’ Chip Kelly Gets Called Out
With the Raiders’ offense struggling, attention quickly shifted to offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, especially following Brock Bowers’ underwhelming performance after his breakout Week 9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In that game, Bowers recorded 12 catches for 127 yards and three touchdowns.
After the loss to the Broncos, former Raiders wide receiver James Jones criticized Kelly for not involving Bowers more in the offense. Notably, Bowers managed just one reception for 31 yards in this matchup.
“Offensively, we got to do better,” Jones said on “Raiders Postgame Live.” “I know I come up here every single week and ask, ‘What’s our identity?’ I don’t know. Chip don’t know neither. That’s the problem. We don’t know if we want to run it, and we don’t know if we want to throw it. What’s our identity?
“I expected to see more of Brock Bowers. We’ve got a lot of young players out there, and I know Brock’s young, but he’s our superstar. We can’t depend on young players to win primetime games like this. Yes, he got some opportunities, but I’m more concerned about Brock Bowers. How do you go into a game as an offensive coordinator and not find a way to get the ball to him? He’s the best player on the field.”
### Raiders QB Geno Smith Picked Up an Injury
Although it’s easy to fault Kelly for some of the playcalling, the offensive coordinator had to contend with a compromised Geno Smith late in the game. Smith injured his quad in the second half but stayed on the field, with backup quarterback Kenny Pickett stepping in briefly.
Even while clearly limited, Smith continued to take snaps, demonstrating toughness despite not being at full strength. His injury likely further hampered the Raiders’ ability to mount a comeback against the Broncos’ relentless defense.
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/sean-payton-sharp-remarks-broncos/
