Raiders keep hope alive by beating Broncos, 32-23

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022 | 4:47 p.m.

In the NFL, an 0-4 record is basically an invitation to pack it in and start scouting next year's draft. The Raiders did what they had to do to avoid that fate on Sunday, as they beat the Denver Broncos, 32-23, at Allegiant Stadium to notch their first victory of the season.

Las Vegas followed an unconventional blueprint in improving to 1-3, leaning on the running game and the defense to hold off their AFC West divisional rivals. They ran it more than they threw it (38 runs to 34 passes), and quarterback Derek Carr even got in on the action by rushing for five first downs. While the offense racked up 212 yards on the ground, the defense swarmed Denver quarterback Russell Wilson and held the Broncos to just one scoring drive in the second half.

Here's how the Raiders saved their season:

Jacobs carries the day

At times it can seem like Josh Jacobs is the forgotten man on the Raiders offense, as the team is built around its elite weapons in the passing game. But on Sunday the former first-round pick had his number called early and often — and especially late — and he responded with his best performance of the season: 28 carries, 144 yards and two touchdowns.

Jacobs set the tone. On the first play from scrimmage, he bounced a handoff to the outside and finished the run by plowing over a Denver defensive back for a 5-yard gain. In the third quarter he turned an ordinary dive up the middle into a 42-yard run by spinning away from a tackle at the line of scrimmage and sprinting into open field. And on the game-clinching touchdown drive in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Jacobs toted it five times for 23 yards, including the 7-yard TD that put it away.

It all added up to Jacobs's first 100-yard game of the season, his first trips to the end zone this year, and a run-heavy win for a Raiders team that desperately needed one.

Defense makes the big plays

While Jacobs starred on offense, the single biggest play of the game was turned in by the Las Vegas defense late in the second quarter.

With the score tied, 10-10, and Denver driving in Raiders territory, Melvin Gordon took a handoff and rammed into the middle of the defense. Playmaking safety Duron Harmon made the stop and also managed to knock the ball loose on the way down.

It popped directly into the midsection of cornerback Amik Robertson, who turned upfield and weaved in and out of traffic for a 68-yard return touchdown to give Las Vegas the lead. Robertson broke three tackles on the runback, turning an ordinary midfield turnover into a total game-changer. According to ESPN's win probability metric, the Raiders increased their chance of winning from 45.4% to 69.5% thanks to Robertson's TD.

In addition to Harmon and Robertson, defensive end Maxx Crosby also made his presence felt, as he added two more sacks to his season total (4.0). Crosby's second sack was a pivotal play, as he dropped Russell Wilson on third down midway through the third quarter, giving the ball back to the Las Vegas offense; the Raiders went downfield and kicked a field goal to pad their lead to 26-16.

Dead zone

While Las Vegas did have success running the ball for most of the day, the offense still stalled out inside the red zone, something that continues to be a debilitating issue.

The Raiders took the opening kickoff and drove 60 yards in 11 plays before settling for a short field goal. They managed to convert a red-zone opportunity in the second quarter when Jacobs found the end zone on a 10-yard run, but they botched a 1st-and-goal from the 1 late in the third quarter, losing yards before kicking another field goal.

A touchdown in that spot would have given the Raiders a two-possession lead; instead they had to settle for a 19-13 advantage and a white-knuckle fourth quarter (which saw Las Vegas kick another red zone field goal before Jacobs finally finished it off with his game-clinching TD).

A month into the season, Josh McDaniels and the play-designers on offense have not figured out how to leverage all that skill-position talent into touchdowns. Perhaps the reemergence of Jacobs as a rushing threat inside the 10 will help open things up around the goal line in the weeks to come.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.