Stick here for live updates and analysis as Denver takes on the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Live updates
Pre-game updates
Atmosphere (12:55 p.m.): Howdy from Allegiant, where the Raider turnout is small and the concourses are smaller. It’s setting up to be a Broncos home game based on the orange in the lots and those watching warm-ups. And Broncomaniacs know the stakes: A win today gives Denver a two-way tiebreaker edge in AFC playoff seeding over the Pats, based on record against common opponents. Let’s do this! — Keeler
Former Bronco alert (12:41 p.m.): Former Broncos WR Tim Patrick with three catches, 46 yards and now a TD in the first half for surging Jacksonville, which is 8-4 and hammering Indianapolis today. — Gabriel
Inactives (12:37 p.m.): Broncos inactives this afternoon:
- DT D.J. Jones (ankle)
- TE Nate Adkins (knee)
- DL Jordan Jackson
- OL Geron Christian
- OLB Que Robinson
- CB Reese Taylor
— Gabriel
Easy win? (11:05 a.m.): This should be an easy win for Broncos given that Raiders offense is challenging Nate Hackett’s for most incompetent since 2022. But … Denver has only won once in Vegas and won ugly in previous Thursday. Important not to let Vegas hang around. — Renck
Good morning from Allegiant Stadium in sunny Las Vegas (10:55 a.m.): It’s going to be 65 and sunny here today — not that it matters much for the Broncos since they’ll be under the translucent roof here for a matchup against the 2-10 Raiders. Denver hasn’t lost since Sept. 21 and goes for 10 straight wins. Not much has been easy for the Broncos in this building since it opened. We’ll see if Pete Carroll’s team can make it another tough one this afternoon. — Gabriel
Scouting report (10 a.m.): Check out how the Broncos match up with the Raiders in Luca Evans’ scouting report.
Game predictions
Parker Gabriel, Broncos writer: Broncos 27, Raiders 13
Sean Payton’s team is going to beat somebody handily at some point, right? Right? Bueller? Only two of Denver’s 10 victories this season have come by multiple scores and the past four have come by a total of 10 points. The Broncos are due for a blowout win and a loss or two. Let’s bet they start with the blowout, then get to the business of trying to navigate a tough finishing quartet of games in position to nab the No. 1 seed.
Luca Evans, Broncos writer: Broncos 21, Raiders 14
I’ve leaned way too heavily toward predicting Denver blowouts against lesser teams this season. No more of that. Las Vegas’ defense threw some interesting stuff at the Broncos in their first matchup this season, and Denver’s offense can’t be counted on for a true blowout at the moment in the (perhaps temporary) absence of a consistent run game. This still shouldn’t be in doubt, though.
Troy Renck, columnist: Broncos 26, Raiders 13
It’s Raider Weak. Oh, where have you gone John Madden and Mike Shanahan, NFL rivalries turn their lonely eyes to you. These two teams have rarely been good at the same time over the past two decades. Such is the case again. The Broncos need to leave this game feeling better about R.J. Harvey, convinced in Evan Engram as a No. 2 target and more confident the defense can produce takeaways.
Sean Keeler, columnist: Broncos 24, Raiders 14
Ashton Jeanty deserves better. Mark Davis doesn’t. Team TCB (Takin’ Care of Business) hasn’t had two bad games in a row — and Washington wasn’t good — since Jets-Giants, back-to-back. And that second one came on the heels of a 10-hour flight, for pity’s sake. After winning their past four games by a combined 10 points, the Broncos break out the hammers and give a bad team the respect they deserve. None.
Broncos-Raiders NFL Week 14: Must-reads
Keeler: Broncos fan asking Sean Payton, Bo Nix not to give him second heart attack vs. lousy Raiders
These Broncos might soothe the soul. They’re holy hell on your heart.
Thanks to a Looney Tunes, 27-26 victory at Washington last Sunday night, Denver has won nine straight. At some point, the Broncos trailed in every one of those games — becoming the first NFL team to win nine in a row while behind in all nine contests.
In five of those victories, the Broncos were either tied or trailing at the start of the fourth quarter. Late last Sunday night, on an all-or-nothing Commanders 2-point conversion try in overtime, Denver outside linebacker Nik Bonitto got free and batted down a Marcus Mariota pass, one of the wildest finishes in a season full of them. Read Sean Keeler’s column.
Yes, Broncos CB Riley Moss is actually wearing boxing gloves in practice
In mid-November, Moss’s hand-fighting with receivers nearly cost the Broncos their rivalry matchup with the Chiefs. The Broncos’ cornerback drew a pass-interference call that went for 47 yards on a fourth-quarter, third-and-20 against Kansas City. Denver managed to pull out a 22-19 win despite three penalties on Moss.
After the game, Moss told reporters that the staff were going to “put the boxing gloves on him” to correct any grabbing in his technique.
He wasn’t lying. Broncos cornerbacks coach Addison Lynch confirmed to The Post Thursday that Moss has been strapping on a set of gloves for about five reps during team periods of practice the last two weeks. Read Luca Evans’ story.
How the Broncos are learning to deploy a young, talented CB group around Pat Surtain II
Everybody in the league is looking for corners. The Broncos have five that would likely play in some capacity for every team in the NFL.
At this point, Vance Joseph and company know well they can cover an injury here and there — they just thrived for 3 1/2 games without reigning defensive player of the year Pat Surtain II — and they know they can cover just about everything else, too. Read Parker Gabriel’s story.
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