No quit: Raiders prove they aren’t giving up on season with win at Broncos

By Case Keefer (contact)

Monday, Nov. 21, 2022 | 2 a.m.

Duron Harmon requested a long pause during a team film session before a practice last week. The Raiders’ strong safety and team captain had something to say.

His message didn’t have to do with one of the many poor plays the Raiders made in a third consecutive loss in the previous game, but rather one of the successful ones. Harmon was alarmed by the lack of celebration afterwards, or as edge rusher and fellow captain Maxx Crosby put it, teammates not “hyping (each other) up and showing love.”

“I wouldn’t say I called out the team, I just wanted to bring to our attention that we just weren’t playing with enough energy,” Harmon said. “I feel like that’s where it came down to us losing those close games: Energy. Energy is contagious, and we needed more.”

Las Vegas finally broke through with a victory in a close game Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High, outlasting the Denver Broncos 22-16 in overtime. After starting the season 0-6 in games decided by a touchdown or less and continually failing to come through in crucial moments, it was a relief when receiver Davante Adams caught a walk-off 35-yard touchdown pass to reverse the trend.

It was also confirmation that the Raiders, now 3-7, had started to heed the wisdom that Harmon and others have so often preached during a rough start to the year.

“It’s the little things in football, the tiny little things between winning and losing,” Crosby said. “I feel like that’s something we’ve been missing, just our energy going out there and playing for each other. It’s something that requires no talent that makes the difference.”

Unlike last week’s loss to the Colts where clips of perceived lack of effort on plays like a long quarterback scramble and failed fumble recovery went viral, there will be no question on energy after the Broncos’ win. With injuries — left tackle Kolton Miller joined receiver Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller as big-name players sidelined in Denver — mounting as quickly as losses, some accused the Raiders of giving up on the season.

They were adamant that wasn’t the case, but they needed to proved it on the field. The victory over the Broncos (3-7) was far from perfect but it showed conclusively that the Raiders aren’t going to quit fighting.

It would take a minor miracle to get to the playoffs, likely including winning all of their remaining games, but Las Vegas is committed to giving it a try.

“We’ve been close so many times,” quarterback Derek Carr said. “We’re a few plays here, a few plays there. I think our guys learned how hard it is. This is the kind of effort and strain it takes.”

Raiders coach Josh McDaniels has never expressed concern with his team’s effort and energy levels and said he could tell the players had plenty of both from the opening kickoff against the Broncos. They didn’t get immediate results though as the Broncos went 92 yards on their opening drive with quarterback Russell Wilson leading them down the field before running back Latavius Murray punched in a 1-yard touchdown.

Denver followed that with a field goal on its next drive to go up 10-0 and make it look Las Vegas’ season-long defensive struggles were back to stay for another week. Everything changed on the next drive, and Las Vegas’ liveliness became evident for everyone to see.

The Broncos got down to the 3-yard line right before halftime, but Crosby forced a fumble on running back Melvin Gordon right before he was about to score. Denver recovered but had to settle for a field goal, which Crosby then blocked with the tips of his fingers.

The entire defense jumped up and down before jogging into the locker room in unison.

“I thought the energy coming into halftime was really good,” McDaniels said. “They were focused on trying to play their best in the second half. I think (the blocked field goal) definitely gave us a little boost there.”

The Raiders picked up right where they left off in the second half. Crosby had his first of two second-half sacks to force a three-and-out on the Broncos’ first drive out of the locker room.

The ensuing Las Vegas possession stalled but led to the first of three Daniel Carlson field goals to tie the game at 10-10. With a variety of big plays, Crosby helped make sure Denver didn’t get anything other than field goals either, as it settled for a pair from Brandon McManus for its only points in the second half.

Crosby finished with six tackles and an additional quarterback hit in addition to his pair of sacks and blocked field goal.

“He was pursuing Russell as much as he could in the pass rush and I also thought he was active at the point of attack in the rush game and also ran down a couple plays from behind,” McDaniels said of Crosby. “He just gives tremendous effort on every play and I think he got it out of his teammates.”

Adams and running back Josh Jacobs were the lifeforces of the offenses. Jacobs didn’t break any long runs but pounded Denver defenders all day in the frigid Denver weather, gaining 160 yards on 30 carries.

Adams had more than 100 receiving yards even before overtime including a 31-yard second-quarter touchdown on a similar route to the game-winner. The Raiders just couldn’t finish drives with touchdowns in regulation after Adams’ first score, including one in the final minute where they got down to the seven-yard line after a 43-yard reception from Jacobs on a wheel route.

But the Broncos’ pass rush got to Carr from there as he had no time to operate and threw three straight incompletions.

“Whenever we got a penalty or didn’t have a drive go the way we wanted to, if you noticed, we all came up as a group and talked about it,” Jacobs said. “Hopefully that translated and we keep doing that going forward. It’s good when you see guys believing in each other and having the trust and faith in one another.”

Uncharacteristically compared to the rest of the year, the defense kept coming up with stops. Harmon pushed so hard that he had cramps in both legs and had to be carted off the field in the fourth quarter.

“I kept trying to get up, but I just couldn’t,” Harmon said. “I know I’m going to hear it from my son when I get home. Like, ‘Dad, you left the game on a cart because of cramps?’ Not one of my proudest moments as a football player, but I was just happy the medical team got me back (in the locker room), got me some IVs and got me back on the football field and I was able to finish the game with the team.”

The defense wasn’t needed in overtime. After losing nine of 10 coin tosses to start the season, punter A.J. Cole finally won one and immediately turned to the sidelines with his arms raised.

Three plays later, the whole team would be celebrating in the tunnel towards the locker room. Tight end Foster Moreau had a 33-yard completion to get the Raiders’ into field goal range, and then Adams was left all alone in the end zone after fooling the Broncos’ defensive backield.

“(The safety) thought he had a jump on me basically,” Adams said. “Based on something I saw earlier, I mentioned to coach I thought we’d able to do this and, obviously not force anything, but if it presents itself, we’d have a home run. Sure enough, as soon as I go inside, he starts flying over the top and, as soon as I saw him go, I said, ‘Please God, give me a little bit of time right there.’”

Carr was thinking something else — “Don’t overthrow it.” He didn’t and found himself sprinting down the field in euphoria.

The Raiders’ veteran quarterback has said repeatedly that winning means everything to him, making him perhaps the best example of all to illustrate why the team isn’t giving up on the season.

“Hopefully we’re taking steps in the right direction so there isn’t new players and new coaches every two or three years,” Carr said. “We’re trying to sustain something here and hopefully guys see that when we do things right that leads to victories and feeling that way.”

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