Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (13) breaks a tackle attempt during the first half of a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020.
Published Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021 | 2 a.m.
Updated Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021 | 4:04 p.m.
Week 16
• Who: Broncos (7-7) at Raiders (7-7)
• When: 1:25 p.m.
• Where: Allegiant Stadium
• TV: KLAS-TV Channel 8
• Radio: Raider Nation Radio 920 AM, KOMP 92.3
• Betting line: Pick’em, over/under: 41.5
Las Vegas closed out the Broncos, 17-13, to improve to 8-7 on the season and remain in the hunt for the AFC playoffs.
Daniel Carlson kicked a field goal to give the Raiders a four-point lead with seven minutes to play, and the defense got off the field when Quinton Jefferson sacked Denver quarterback Drew Lock on third down at midfield. Out of field goal range, Denver punted with four minutes left, hoping to get a stop and another chance at a go-ahead drive.
Instead the Raiders offense sealed the win. Josh Jacobs broke off a 13-yard run to pick up a first down, and on 3rd-and-2 with two minutes to play the Raiders went with a play-action pass to tight end Foster Moreau, who was able to slip behind the defense for a 28-yard gain. The Broncos exhausted their timeouts and Derek Carr kneeled out the clock to finish things off.
Jacobs overcame a bad first-half fumble to record his best game of the season, popping off for 129 rushing yards on 27 carries. Carr also played through a bad first-half interception to complete 20-of-25 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown.
The Raiders are one game out of the final AFC wildcard spot with two weeks remaining. They'll travel to Indianapolis next week, then host the Los Angeles Chargers in the season finale on Jan. 9.
Raiders protecting 17-13 lead in fourth quarter
Can the Raiders keep Denver out of the end zone? Daniel Carlson just booted a 41-yard field goal to extend Las Vegas' lead to 17-13 with 7:35 remaining, putting pressure on the defense to seal what would be a crucial victory.
The running game once again powered the Raiders' scoring drive. Derek Carr converted a 4th-and-1 from midfield with a QB sneak, and three plays later Jalen Richard picked up four yards on 3rd-and-2 to move the ball into scoring range. Carr took a sack on the next third down, but Carlson split the uprights to give Vegas some breathing room.
Denver has gained just 139 yards of offense on the day, and the Broncos' only touchdown came after a Bradley Chubb interception gave them the ball at the Las Vegas 1-yard line.
Raiders lead Denver, 14-13
Just when it looked like the Raiders had regained control of this game, a Derek Carr fumble has put Denver back in business.
Las Vegas came out of the halftime break determined to run the ball and that's exactly what they did, handing off on eight of nine plays as they drove 75 yards for a touchdown to regain the lead, 14-13. Josh Jacobs did most of the work on the drive, and Peyton Barber capped it off with a 5-yard scoring run.
After the defense forced a quick Denver punt, Carr drove the Raiders across midfield and into field goal range. But on 3rd-and-5 Carr held the ball too long, allowing Shelby Harris to come up with a strip sack and the fumble recovery. Now the Broncos have the ball in Raiders' territory, driving for a potential go-ahead score as the third quarter draws toward a close.
Raiders' turnovers hand Denver 13-7 lead at half
Two Las Vegas miscues gave the Broncos life just before halftime, and Denver has pulled ahead, 13-7, heading into the locker room.
The Raiders appeared to be in control of the game, up 7-3 and driving with two minutes left in the first half when Josh Jacobs' fumbling issues flared up again. The third-year back caught a swing pass from Derek Carr on 1st-and-10 and had plenty of open space; Jacobs carried the ball loosely, however, and accidentally kneed it out of his own hands with no defenders in the vicinity. The ball bounced away from Jacobs' grasp and was recovered by Denver defensive lineman Mike Purcell at the Las Vegas 40.
The Raiders defense held on third down, but Brandon McManus was able to boot a 55-yard field goal with 32 seconds left in the half to trim Las Vegas' lead.
On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Carr again targeted Jacobs with a designed screen pass, but Broncos linebacker Bradley Chubb sniffed it out and batted the pass in the air. Chubb collected the ball for an interception and raced 21 yards before Jacobs was able to chase him down at the 1-yard line. Denver then handed off to Javonte Williams for a touchdown with 15 seconds left to take the lead.
Jacobs' careless turnover comes just two weeks after he fumbled on the opening snap of the Raiders' game at Kansas City; the Chiefs returned that one for a touchdown in a game they eventually won, 48-9. Carr had been enjoying a solid game until the pick. He has completed 13-of-18 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown.
After that crazy swing in momentum to end the half, Las Vegas will receive the ball to begin the third quarter.
Carr to Renfrow gives Raiders 7-0 lead over Denver
The Raiders offense has been the Hunter Renfrow Show over the past few weeks, so it was no surprise that Derek Carr went his way on a 10-yard touchdown pass to give Las Vegas a 7-0 lead with 11:01 left in the second quarter.
The only ones shocked were the Denver Broncos, who had single coverage on Renfrow as the trusty slot receiver ran a corner route in the left side of the end zone. Carr lobbed a perfect touch pass over Renfrow's shoulder, and he got one knee down before sliding out of bounds with the ball secured.
It was Renfrow's second catch of the game; he now has 28 yards receiving to lead the Raiders. Carr has hit on 9-of-13 passes for 82 yards and the TD.
Raiders driving to begin second quarter
For anyone who came into this game expecting a shootout between Derek Carr and Drew Lock, that has not materialized yet. At the end of the first quarter, the Raiders and Broncos are still tied, 0-0.
The Raiders are moving the ball on their second possession, however. Carr scrambled past the marker to convert a third down from the Las Vegas side of the field, and he just hit Zay Jones for a catch-and-run across the 50. The Raiders will have a 2nd-and-6 at the Denver 49 when the second quarter begins.
Carr is 6-of-10 for 57 yards, while Lock is 4-of-6 for 15 yards. The two teams have combined for 103 yards of offense.
Raiders, Broncos trade early punts
The Raiders' first drive advanced past midfield, but Derek Carr was pressured on third down and was unable to connect with Zay Jones to move the chains. Las Vegas just punted, and with 7:22 left in the first quarter this is still a 0-0 game.
The Las Vegas defense showed up to play on the opening possession. Denzel Perryman made a quick impact in his return from injury, as the Pro Bowl linebacker stopped Melvin Gordon for a minimal gain on the first play of the game. On third and long, cornerback Desmond Trufant dragged down tight end Noah Fant well short of the first-down marker.
After punt pinned the Raiders at their own 5-yard line, Carr hit Foster Moreau for a 16-yard gain, then found Hunter Renfrow for 18 yards. On 3rd-and-4 from the 50, Carr had Jones coming wide open on the left side for what would have been a chunk play, but the hurried throw sailed over Jones' head.
Shorthanded Raiders host Broncos in crucial contest
The already shorthanded Raiders received more bad news in the hours leading up to today's game, as wide receiver Bryan Edwards and backup quarterback Marcus Mariota were both added to the reserve/COVID-19 list, meaning they'll miss Sunday's crucial home tilt against the Denver Broncos.
With Darren Waller out, Edwards had emerged as a viable supporting option in the passing game. He was targeted 12 times in the previous three contests, making eight catches for 62 yards; he caught three balls in last week's win at Cleveland, including a touchdown.
Mariota had also gotten more involved in the offense in recent weeks, usually as a short-yardage or goal-line threat. The Raiders called up Nathan Peterman from the practice squad to serve as the backup against Denver.
Raiders, Broncos both have backs against the wall at Allegiant Stadium
In a storied rivalry between the two AFC West franchises, this season’s second matchup stands as one of the series’ most important showdowns in recent history. It’s a virtual elimination game, with both teams at .500 and needing to sweep their final three games to ensure a playoff berth. There’s a chance the loser of today’s game is mathematically eliminated from the postseason. At best, the loser will have a minuscule chance to extend its season. Both teams started the season 3-0, but they’ve been consistently mediocre ever since. The Broncos have alternated wins and losses in each of their past four games since their bye week. The Raiders edged a shorthanded Cleveland team 16-14 on Monday to spark some life in a playoff pursuit that had been sinking with losses in five of six games. Las Vegas handled Denver with relative ease in October on the road, 34-24, but the stakes are higher this time.
Favorable matchup: Raiders’ defense vs. Quarterback Drew Lock
Broncos starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will miss the game after suffering a concussion in a 15-10 loss to the Bengals last week to thrust his backup Lock into his first start of the season. It’s a break for the Raiders, who have played well in three games against the Broncos’ 2019 second-round draft choice out of Missouri. Las Vegas is 2-1 against Lock, including a 37-12 victory last year at Allegiant Stadium in which the Raiders registered four interceptions. Lock is an undeniable step down from Bridgewater, but that doesn’t mean it will necessarily be easy on the Raiders’ defense. It’s significantly weakened in the defensive backfield with No. 2 cornerback Trayvon Mullen out for the year with a toe injury and the next two players in line, Nate Hobbs and Brandon Facyson, on the COVID-19 list. Keisean Nixon was a revelation filling in for Hobbs at nickelback in the win against Cleveland, but there’s more concern about Amik Robertson and Desmond Trufant, who look like they will have to play more prominent roles against the Broncos.
THEY SAID IT
“I’m crying like a baby because I just know I’ve worked so hard and it’s starting to pay off.” — Defensive end Maxx Crosby on his reaction to being told he was named to the Pro Bowl
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“I let all the people smarter than me figure those things out. But when it comes to not getting paid, I’ve got a lot of kids now, so I’ve got to pay for Christmas.” — Quarterback Derek Carr, father of four, on reports that if last week’s game against the Browns wasn’t postponed it would have been canceled without pay to the players
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“Me and my family go to church Christmas Eve, we come home and watch ‘Die Hard.’ We’ve been doing it every year for a long time, and at some point, the mainstream caught up to us. I think we were the trend setters.” — Punter A.J. Cole on his Christmas traditions and favorite Christmas movie
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“Nine times out 10, I’m yelling and it ain’t nice at all.” — Linebacker Denzel Perryman, who hopes to play this week, on watching the last two games at home with an ankle injury
Problematic matchup: Running back Javonte Williams vs. Raiders’ defense
It took some stubbornness, but the Browns were finally able to wear down the Raiders’ rush defense with running back Nick Chubb last week. The perennial Pro Bowler got on track in the second half and came within a game-winning field goal as time expired from leading Cleveland to an upset victory. Las Vegas must be prepared for the strong possibility that Denver takes a similar approach. Williams, a rookie second-round pick out of North Carolina, has been highly efficient all year but has gotten even better upon taking over the starting role from the injured Melvin Gordon. There’s a chance Gordon returns in Las Vegas, but he’s unlikely to supplant Williams, considering the latter is fifth in the NFL among qualified running backs with 4.8 yards per carry. Stopping the run hasn’t been a major problem for Las Vegas, but it has gotten gashed against some of the league’s best — a class Williams is making a case he belongs in. Before Chubb, the likes of Cincinnati’s Joe Mixon and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Austin Ekeler were also troublesome for Las Vegas.
Gamebreaker: Defensive end Maxx Crosby
Because of their record, the Raiders have reached a point of the season where the next game is always the biggest game. And in the biggest games, a team must rely on its best player. Crosby has been Las Vegas’ best player this season. The third-year edge rusher was named to his first Pro Bowl team earlier this week — alongside two teammates in linebacker Denzel Perryman and punter A.J. Cole — to accomplish one of his biggest personal goals coming into the season. He only has five sacks — four fewer than counterpart Yannick Ngakoue — but three of those came in the first meeting with the Broncos this season. He also affects nearly every play with pressures. Denver’s protection has been an issue all season as it ranks 29th in the league in pass blocking by Football Outsiders’ DVOA ratings. Crosby has cracked it once, and seems more than set up to do it again in a crucial spot.
Big Number: 263
Yards gained by the Raiders on defensive pass interference penalties this season, the most in the NFL according to ESPN Stats and Information. Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr has long been regarded as one of the best passers at drawing flags downfield, and this week he confirmed that it’s part of his mindset late in games or when the Raiders face third-and-long situations. When Las Vegas was struggling offensively and stuck inside the 10-yard line in the first half against Cleveland, Carr unleashed one deep pass that resulted in a 46-yard gain via pass interference. “I knew I was just going to launch it down the field because it’s either going to be a long punt if they pick it, or really you are going to get a pass interference or completion. That was a perfect example.” It may not be the prettiest way to pick up yards but it’s a valuable ability to have in close games, and this projects as another close game.
Best Bet (7-7): Derek Carr over 1.5 passing touchdowns
Carr hasn’t thrown more than one touchdown in a game in six weeks, but the decline seems to be just as much a result of randomness than an unsolvable problem. He’s still producing overall, sitting second in the NFL with 4,162 passing yards. The Raiders have just struggled in the red zone, ranking 28th in the league with touchdowns on only 50% of trips. The Broncos’ defense, conversely, has been great at halting drives, sitting third in the league by giving up touchdowns on 48.3% of red-zone trips. Many will overreact to those numbers and assign extra meaning even though they’ve proven to not be not very predictive over time. If anything, red-zone performance tends to regress to the mean so maybe the Raiders’ and Broncos’ fortunes near the goal line flip this week.
