LAS VEGAS — Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton is one of the longest-tenured players on the team, and he left Allegiant Stadium with something he had never had before in his career.
A road win over the Raiders.
The Broncos’ 29-19 victory over the Raiders completed Denver’s season sweep over Las Vegas and was the Broncos’ first road win over the Silver and Black since 2015 — Peyton Manning’s last season with Denver.
The season sweep was also the first over the Raiders since 2014.
“It’s crazy the games just kind of flow, the years just kind of flow together, you remember certain games … but when [Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II] had told me we hadn’t beat these guys in Oakland or in Vegas in like the past 10 years, that’s crazy to think about,” said Sutton, a second-round pick by the Broncos in the 2018 draft.
“To know we had fallen short that many times, it was kind of disappointing. … To come here and take care of business and get the win — the tide is turning. The Broncos are in the spot we want to be in, back in the AFC West [race] and that’s an exciting spot to be in.”
The win pushed the Broncos to 7-5 and keeps them in the No. 7 spot in the AFC’s playoff race. Denver faces the Cleveland Browns (3-8) next Monday night before a bye in Week 14.
The Chiefs (10-1) lead the division and the Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), who defeated the Broncos in Denver in Week 6, face Baltimore Monday.
But the win, in a game the Broncos trailed 13-9 at half time, was just the kind coach Sean Payton said shows some progress for a franchise that hasn’t been to the postseason since the Super Bowl 50 victory to close out the 2015 season.
“Gritty … tough,” Payton said. “A year ago, we don’t win that game. So, it wasn’t our best, but it was good enough and we’re on to the next one.
“I said to [the team], our team a year ago, doesn’t win this game. But this team did. You build some grit. … We were the better team [Sunday].”
The Raiders, down two cornerbacks who were gameday inactives (Nate Hobbs and Jakorian Bennett), were still far more aggressive in the pass rush against rookie quarterback Bo Nix than the Broncos had expected. As a result, Nix look slightly unsettled early as the Broncos’ four possessions in the first half resulted in a punt and three field goals.
Toss in some wobbles on the Broncos’ special teams as well in the first half — the Raiders had a 59-yard kickoff return by running back Dylan Laube to put them in position for a touchdown drive as well as a 34-yard pass completion on a fake punt on their next possession to set up a field goal — and the Broncos trailed until their defense cranked it up as it has for much of the season.
A Brandon Jones interception early in the third quarter gave the Broncos the ball on the Raiders’ 18-yard line. Two plays later, Nix hit Sutton for an 18-yard touchdown that gave the Broncos a 16-13 lead, and Denver did not trail again.
The Broncos’ defense, which came into the game with the league lead in sacks, finished with five.
“That was kind of what sparked us, was the pick,” Nix said. “Defense played really well again, start to finish. … After that [interception], we score, and it’s like OK, this is our time to take it over, and we did after that.”
After he did not have catch in the first half, Sutton finished with 8 receptions for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns, his first two-touchdown game since the 2019 season when he had two.
