Live coverage: Raiders escape with 32-31 victory in Denver

By Case Keefer (contact)

Published Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021 | 2 a.m.

Updated Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021 | 5:03 p.m.

For the fourth time in the last five weeks, the Raiders had a game come down to the final seconds.

Unlike the last two, Las Vegas rose to the occasion and escaped with an 32-31 win at Denver. The Raiders did what they couldn’t do a year ago at Empower Field at Mile Hight by converting on a two-point conversion with 24 seconds to go for the win.

Tight end Darren Waller caught a slant from quarterback Derek Carr amid traffic for the game-winning points. The win makes the Raiders 8-8 on the season, a one-game improvement from a year ago.

The finale arguably shouldn’t have been so close. Las Vegas outplayed Denver for the majority of the game, but crippled itself with self-inflicted mistakes.

The Raiders posted a -4 turnover margin, becoming the rare team to win despite committing so many takeaways. The saving grace might have been that Las Vegas’ defense was able to hold Denver to 10 points off of the four turnovers.

The much-maligned unit wasn’t without its faults though. The Raiders gave up a 92-yard touchdown pass from Drew Lock to Jerry Jeudy with 6:29 to go to fall into a 31-24 deficit.

Las Vegas went three-and-out on its next possession, but forced a punt just inside the two-minute warning. That was just enough time for quarterback Derek Carr — who had an up-and-down day with 371 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions  — to lead the Raiders down the field before Josh Jacobs ran in a 1-yard touchdown and hold two fingers to single a two-point conversion attempt.

The Broncos appeared to try to focus their efforts on Waller, but it didn’t matter. The Pro Bowl tight end reeled in the catch and spiked it into the empty stands.

It was a notable day for Waller, who set the Raiders’ single-season record for receptions by getting to 106 on the year via nine catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. Jacobs was also outstanding in relatively limited action, gaining 89 yards on 15 carries.

Much like last week’s game against the Dolphins, the Raiders nearly frittered away the lead in the final seconds. Lock completed a 25-yard pass to Jeudy to get to midfield, and then the Raiders were penalized five yards for a delay of game with 18 seconds remaining.

The Broncos couldn’t get any more yards though and Maxx Crosby blocked a 63-yard field goal attempt from Brandon McManus to clinch the win.  

Read below for live updates and come back to lasvegassun.com later for more coverage.

Jerry Jeudy puts Broncos  back on top

Backed up to the 8-yard line and facing a 3^rd-and-10, the Broncos found their way out in a big way.

The Raiders gave up a 92-yard touchdown pass from Drew Lock to Jerry Jeudy to fall back into a 31-24 deficit with 6:29 to play. It was the biggest play Las Vegas has given up all season and complicates its aim to finish with a .500 record at 8-8.

Raiders, Broncos tied up

This year’s Raiders-Broncos finale is turning out as close as last year’s.

It’s 24-24 with 7:27 to play. Josh Jacobs just tied the game for Las Vegas on a 28-yard touchdown rush.

Jacobs now has 12 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Darren Waller meanwhile set the franchise record for receptions in a season, surpassing Tim Brown with a 15-yard gain the play before the touchdown on what was his seventh catch of the day.

Sloppy  day for Las Vegas continues

The Raiders’ third turnover of the day has given the Broncos a lead.

Henry Ruggs fumbled on an end-around in Las Vegas territory, and unlike the previous possession, Denver wasn’t going to miss on capitalizing on the short field this time. The Broncos scored in five plays when Melvin Gordon ran for a 10-yard touchdown.

An ensuing two-point conversion pass from Drew Lock to Jerry Jeudy has Denver up 24-17. Las Vegas has moved the ball more efficiently on offense but it hasn’t much mattered with all of its giveaways.

Brandon McManus getting a lot of work

An improved defensive effort has seen the Raiders hold the Broncos to a pair of field goals in the third quarter. Las Vegas still leads 17-16.

Derek Carr threw an interception in Las Vegas’ own territory the last time the offense was on the field but Denver only managed one first down before sending out Brandon McManus for a 26-yard field goal.

McManus has gone to 3-for-5 on the day, missing a pair of excessively long — 56 yards and 70 yards — attempts.

Bryan Edwards scores for Raiders

One rookie Raider receiver already had his moment of the year. The other just joined him with a memorable touchdown of his own.

Third-round pick Bryan Edwards just scored the first touchdown of his career, on a 26-yard pass from Derek Carr. The Raiders now lead the Broncos 17-10.

After a strong training camp, some thought Edwards may outshine first-round pick Henry Ruggs this season. That hasn’t happened, as although Ruggs has struggled, he’s shown flashes including a Hail Mary catch to beat the Jets in the final seconds of a game at the Meadowlands.

Edwards’ catch wasn’t quite as momentous, of course, but it required him looking over his shoulder near the sideline in the end zone. It was no easy grab.

Carr has thrown for 206 yards and two touchdowns on 12-for-19 passing as the game heads into halftime.

Waller ties the game at 10-10

The Raiders’ budding superstar just struck again.

Darren Waller caught a 28-yard pass from Derek Carr over his shoulder to tie up the game with the Broncos at 10-10. Denver gave Las Vegas great field position when it trotted out Brandon McManus for a failed 56-yard field goal attempt.

Waller now has four catches, leaving him three away from breaking Tim Brown’s all-time franchise record for receptions in a season. The touchdown catch helped make up for a fumble on the previous possession.

Broncos score the first touchdown

The Raiders kept the Broncos out of the end zone the first time they got inside the 10-yard line. They couldn’t do it a second time.

A holding call on cornerback Damon Arnette on third-and-goal gave Denver a new set of downs to score and it capitalized with a short pass from Drew Lock to Troy Fumagili.

It’s 10-3 Denver at the end of the first quarter.

Las Vegas denied after driving down the field

It looked like the Raiders had the game’s first touchdown with a 7-yard pass from Derek Carr to a wide-open Nelson Agholor, but a penalty wiped it out.

Zay Jones was flagged for offensive pass interference, the result of a pick play. That pushed the Raiders back to the 17-yard line and forced them to eventually settle for a 33-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson.

The score is 3-3.

Tying the game must feel a little bittersweet for the Raiders after a 57-yard completion from Carr to Agholor set them up in prime scoring position.

Broncos score first

It could have been worse.

The Raiders looked lifeless in both their opening offensive and defensive drives, but they at least held the Broncos to a field goal on the latter. Brandon McManus made a 22-yard field goal after the Broncos drove inside the 10-yard line to put Denver up 3-0.

Jeff Heath deflected a pass from Drew Lock intended for Tim Patrick on 3^rd-and-goal from the 4-yard line to kept the Broncos out of the end zone.

Brown, Ferrell among Raiders missing the finale

The Raiders’ inactive list remains substantial for another week as they close the season in Denver.

Like they’ve been at several different points throughout the season, the Raiders will be short along the offensive line and in the secondary. Trent Brown and Denzelle Good are unable to play on the line while Isaiah Johnson and Erik Harris are ruled out in the defensive backfield.

Maurice Hurst will miss the game at defensive tackle.

None of the players are big surprises, though Gruden did describe both Good and Hurst as “questionable” on Friday while announcing Brown, Johnson, Harris and defensive end Clelin Ferrell, who was added to injured reserve, were out.

Brown might be the headliner as his absence means he’ll finish the season having only played four full games. Considering he’s Las Vegas’ second highest paid player behind quarterback Derek Carr, it’s been greatly affected by his inability to stay on the field.

Pregame

For the second straight year, the Raiders finish the season in Denver needing a win to get to a .500 record. They’re hoping the trip goes better than a year ago when a failed 2-point conversion attempt in the final seconds left them with a 16-15 loss. There’s plenty of reasons to believe it should, notably including the way the Raiders demolished the Broncos 37-12 in a Week 10 meeting at Allegiant Stadium. It’s been all downhill ever since, though, with the Raiders losing five of six. Las Vegas coaches and players have spoken about the importance of closing the year with a victory. They’ve bristled at the notion that they’d put forward anything less than a full effort despite the playoffs being out of reach. An improvement from 7-9 in the 2019-20 season to 8-8 isn’t as big a jump as the Raiders wanted to make, but it’s still progress nonetheless.

Favorable matchup: Raiders’ rushing attack vs. Broncos rush defense

The Raiders came into the season saying they wanted their run game to be the focal point of their attack. That didn’t go according to plan considering they’re 21st in the league in gaining 4.2 yards per rush attempt. The game that best gave a glimpse of what they described in the preseason, however, was the win against the Broncos. Las Vegas gashed Denver on the ground, picking up 203 yards and four touchdowns on 41 carries. Both lead back Josh Jacobs and backup/former Bronco Devontae Booker averaged more than 5 yards per carry as quarterback Derek Carr joked he didn’t need to do anything in the victory and declared himself “the third running back.” Denver’s rush defense hasn’t made any breakthroughs in the month-and-a-half since. Two weeks ago, the Broncos allowed the Bills to rack up 7.6 yards per carry in a 48-19 blowout loss. The Raiders may run wild again on the road.

Problematic matchup: Melvin Gordon vs. Raiders rush defense

It may have taken the Broncos’ inter-division offseason acquisition a while to get settled in his new home, but Gordon is rolling now and showing the ability that’s made him a two-time Pro Bowler. The former Los Angeles Charger has averaged more than 6 yards per carry in the Broncos’ last four games. That could be a problem for a Raiders’ defense that’s been increasingly unable to stop the run, giving up nearly 6 yards per attempt itself over the same span. Gordon has a history of success against the Raiders too, having gained 901 total yards from scrimmage and scored nine touchdowns in nine career games. He was injured early in the game against the Raiders earlier this season, and though he returned, Gordon managed a relatively pedestrian 46 yards on 11 carries in the Broncos’ loss. With fellow Denver running back Phillip Lindsay now on injured reserve, Las Vegas can expect a steady dose of Gordon this time around.

Gamebreaker: Safety Johnathan Abram

The Raiders’ defense has failed to record a single takeaway in its last three games, a key point of frustration for coach Jon Gruden. They should have their chances against the Broncos. Namely, Abram should have his chances. One of only two games all season where Las Vegas forced multiple turnovers was against Denver the first time, as the Raiders took advantage of Broncos quarterback Drew Lock’s unbridled aggression with four interceptions. Lock leads the NFL in averaging 9.3 intended air yards, and it’s not been for the better as his deep throws have often lacked accuracy. It’s not a coincidence he also leads the league with 15 interceptions, many of them coming by patrolling safeties.Raiders safety Jeff Heath picked off two Lock passes in the first game between these teams, but he’s now on injured reserve. If Abram plays his assignments — which has admittedly been a challenge for him throughout the season — then he should be able to add to his current total of two interceptions in his first full season.

Big Number: 271.

Jason Witten will play in his 271st NFL game on Sunday, surpassing former Kansas City Chief/Atlanta Falcon Tony Gonzalez for the record for most games by a tight end in league history. Witten called the moment “pretty special for me and my family.” It also seems like a good bet the 38-year-old will see some significant action. He had his most visible game as a Raider in last week’s loss to the Dolphins, getting five targets and coming away with two receptions for 12 yards. The Raiders signed Witten to a one-year deal in the offseason as much for his mentorship as any expected on-field contribution. He’s called the season “a great experience,” one that has strengthened his desire to potentially get into coaching. The longtime Dallas Cowboy hasn’t announced his retirement, however, and said he was focused on the Broncos’ game for now.

Best Bet: First score of the game is a touchdown -160

It’s hard to trust either defense here to get many stops. Taking the over 51 points seems fraught with peril, however, as there’s a good chance that the pace slows in the second half with both teams keeping the ball on the ground to ride into the offseason. Long, drawn-out scoring drives are probably more likely than a back-and-forth brawl of big plays. The price on this prop is typically more around -200 and there’s no reason why this particular game should be so much lower. Betting options are limited in Week 17 contests like this with nothing on the line and no guarantee of stars playing the whole 60 minutes, so general-game props like this first-score one are about as exotic of wagers as gamblers can find.

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.